England enjoy a unique position within Rugby League history having given birth to the sport in 1895 when disillusioned clubs from the north of England rebelled against their southern counterparts to form their own breakaway league. It became known as the Northern Union, the predecessor to the modern day Rugby Football League.

The first ever Rugby League international test was played several years later in 1904, when representatives of the Northern Union, which was effectively an England side, played against a team of players of other nationalities and lost 9-3.

With Rugby League spreading around the world during the 1905-1907 period, England, under the team banner of Great Britain, played host to the famous New Zealand ‘All Golds’ touring side in 1907 and then to the first ever Australian touring side in 1908. In 1910, England then embarked on their first ever Rugby League tour, playing numerous games in both New Zealand and Australia. 

England have since appeared in every World Cup played although they played, up until 1975, under the banner of Great Britain and won the trophy on three occasions including the inaugural tournament in France in 1954. Great Britain became England in 1975 but reverted back to GB for the 1977, 1988 and 1992 tournaments before permanently becoming England.

England have produced some of the greatest Rugby League players of all time, including George Fairbairn, who is third on the all-time list of World Cup points scorers, Andy Farrell, widely regarded as one of the toughest competitors ever to play the game and the legendary Harold Wagstaff, who led Huddersfield to an unprecedented four titles during the 1915 season.

Area: 130,422 km2

Capital: London

Population: 51 million

Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition of Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: twelve from England, one from Wales and one from France, which compete from February to October.

Super League began in March 1996 and saw the English season switch from winter to summer for the first time in over 100 years. Most of the teams are based in Great Britain, though initially the league was intended to be European, and indeed French club Paris Saint Germain contested the first ever Super League match. Following their departure after the completion of the 1997 season, the league was solely English until Catalans Dragons were admitted for the 2006 season. In 2009, the Celtic Crusaders, from Wales, entered the competition.

During the league's regular season, each team plays 27 games over 27 rounds from February to September. These consist of 13 home games, 13 away games and a Magic Weekend game at a neutral venue, currently the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. At the end of the regular season, the top eight teams in the League play in the play-offs, which culminates with the Grand Final to determine the champions.

In 2009, for the first time in its history, Super League games were played in five different countries in a single season: England, Wales, Scotland, France and Spain.