History UsefulNotes / RugbyUnion

** Before the South African expansion was announced, the league was discussing an expansion into North America, with one team in the USA (most likely in Houston or Washington, D.C.) and one in Canada (most likely Toronto, or possibly Vancouver); Georgia (the country) and Germany were also pushing to be included. Any North American expansion will likely not take place until at least the 2018–19 season.

* The USA is now trying to start a truly professional league for the second time. The first attempt, '''PRO Rugby''', was founded in late 2015 and was initially planned to involve 6 teams, but ended up with only 5 when play started in 2016. These teams competed against each other home and away, with the winner (unusually in rugby, which has embraced the end-of-season playoff concept in virtually all domestic competitions) determined by the highest placed team at the end of the season. PRO Rugby was in a slightly awkward position lying somewhere between "professional rugby competition" and "proof of concept", but its first season was considered a success based on performance vs. expectations. However, the league found itself in a nasty dispute with USA Rugby (the national federation), including claims of unpaid wages by some of the league's highest-profile players, that caused the league to fold before it got a chance at a second season. The plans of the former [=Pro12=] to expand into North America also didn't help matters. The inaugural and only champions were the Denver Stampede. After a year without a pro league, the void was filled by '''Major League Rugby''', which was originally set to launch in 2018 with teams from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Austin, Houston and New Orleans. By the time play started, Minneapolis and KC pulled out completely and Dallas put off joining until at least 2019, while a team from San Diego wound up joining in time for the season. A New York City team plans to join in 2019, and a Toronto team may join at that time as well. Watch this space...

* Shed a tear or two for '''PRO Rugby''', the USA's first attempt to establish a professional rugby competition. Founded in late 2015, it was initially planned to involve 6 teams, but ended up with only 5. These teams competed against each other home and away, with the winner (unusually in rugby, which has embraced the end-of-season playoff concept in virtually all domestic competitions) determined by the highest placed team at the end of the season. PRO Rugby was in a slightly awkward position lying somewhere between "professional rugby competition" and "proof of concept", but its first season was considered a success based on performance vs. expectations. However, the league found itself in a nasty dispute with USA Rugby (the national federation), including claims of unpaid wages by some of the league's highest-profile players, that caused the league to fold before it got a chance at a second season. The plans of the former [=Pro12=] to expand into North America also didn't help matters. The inaugural and only champions were the Denver Stampede. There are plans for a Major League Rugby starting 2018 with teams from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Austin, Houston and New Orleans, though time will tell if it will last.

* The '''Six Nations Championship''' — Europe's premier national competition, currently involving the Northern Hemisphere's six top teams—England, France, Ireland,[[note]]Unlike football, in which the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland field separate national teams, the entire island has a single national team and governing body in rugby union.[[/note]] Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The event grew out of a competition informally known as the Home Nations Championship, involving the British and Irish sides only and launched in 1883. France joined in 1910, creating the Five Nations, but were kicked out after the 1931 edition. They were invited back after the 1939 edition, but World War II ended international rugby in Europe until 1947. The competition became the Six Nations with Italy's entry in 2000. The current champions are Ireland, who won the 2018 championship with a round to spare, and are seeking to complete a Grand Slam – done by defeating all 5 other teams – in the final round at England. Speaking of which, England are the most recent Grand Slam winners, having done so in 2016. The bottom team gets the so-called 'wooden spoon', a tradition that goes back to the 1890's, if not before. These days it's usually held by [[ButtMonkey Italy]], but both Wales and France have held it before (once each) and it used to regularly be held by Scotland, leading to the mocking song sung by English fans, 'O spoon of Scotland...' to the tune of their national anthem.

** '''Women's Six Nations''' – Much like its men's counterpart, it began as an event for the Home Nations, though not until 1996. France joined in 1999; Ireland left in 2000 and was replaced by Spain. It became the Six Nations with Ireland's return in 2002. In 2007, the (men's) Six Nations committee took over the tournament, kicking Spain out in favor of Italy to align the two competitions. The current holders are England, with a Grand Slam in 2017.

It is one of the few sports that the English can claim to be genuine world beaters at, with their making appearances in three out of eight Rugby World Cup finals and winning it once, with ''that'' famous drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. They're the one Northern Hemisphere team that can consistently (i.e. not counting the French) go into matches against the Wallabies and the Springboks with even odds of winning, and with the All Blacks with even odds of not being absolutely thrashed. The England rugby team is renowned both for the poshness of the players, as mentioned above, and for the sheer power of the forward pack (think linemen and linebackers). Whatever state the rest of the team is in, the England scrum is generally a thing to be feared and always a force to be reckoned with. That said, they are still an English sports team and as such are never all that far away from a really spectacular public collapse. Even with this general tendency they recently outdid themselves, becoming the first sole hosts of a World Cup to fail to make it past the group stage after an injury hit Wales squirmed past them at Twickenham. They have bounced back very quickly however to win their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 13 years and are currently ranked as the second best team in the world. In Sevens Team GB did quite respectably for itself, coming in second at the inaugural Olympic men's tournament behind dominant Fiji. The women's side placed fourth behind Canada, New Zealand and gold medallists Australia.

* The '''Six Nations Championship''' — Europe's premier national competition, currently involving the Northern Hemisphere's six top teams—England, France, Ireland,[[note]]Unlike football, in which the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland field separate national teams, the entire island has a single national team and governing body in rugby union.[[/note]] Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The event grew out of a competition informally known as the Home Nations Championship, involving the British and Irish sides only and launched in 1883. France joined in 1910, creating the Five Nations, but were kicked out after the 1931 edition. They were invited back after the 1939 edition, but World War II ended international rugby in Europe until 1947. The competition became the Six Nations with Italy's entry in 2000. England have won the last two titles in 2016 and 2017, each won with a round to spare. They completed the Grand Slam – done by defeating all 5 other teams – in 2016, but dropped their final match in 2017 against Ireland. The bottom team gets the so-called 'wooden spoon', a tradition that goes back to the 1890's, if not before. These days it's usually held by [[ButtMonkey Italy]], but both Wales and France have held it before (once each) and it used to regularly be held by Scotland, leading to the mocking song sung by English fans, 'O spoon of Scotland...' to the tune of their national anthem.
* '''The Rugby Championship''' — Created as the Tri Nations Series in 1996, shortly after the sport became professional, and initially involving South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2012, Argentina was invited to join and the competition adopted its current name. The governing body is SANZAAR, a joint venture between the governing bodies of the participating countries (originally SANZAR until Argentina became a full member in 2016). New Zealand are the reigning champions, having won the 2017 edition with one round to spare (and in 2016 with [[CurbstompBattle two rounds to spare]]).

** '''Women's Rugby World Cup''' – First held in 1991, but outside the authority of the sport's governing body, now known as World Rugby. WR took over sponsorship in 1998, but didn't officially recognize the 1991 and 1994 editions until ''2009''. Currently held every four years; New Zealand won the most recent edition in Ireland in 2017.

* '''Super Rugby''' - A contest between domestic teams (generally referred to as franchises rather than clubs) from the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), plus one, slightly token team from Japan. It is contested annually, and as you'd expect from a competition featuring teams from some of the best rugby nations in the world, the quality is generally considered to be second only to international rugby. This is somewhat debatable at times, and for years there has been a lengthy argument to be had regarding the devaluing or otherwise of the competition as it slowly expanded. It started life as a competition between 6 provincial sides from Australia and New Zealand, but gradually expanded to incorporate a total of 18 franchises (5 each for New Zealand and Australia, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Japan and 6 from South Africa - the sixth South African team being added partially for money but mainly for domestic political reasons). The aftermath of the most recent expansion (from 15 to 18 teams) saw noticeable declines in interest and competitiveness in Australia and to a lesser extent South Africa, which was apparently the last straw for New Zealand and SANZAAR. For 2018, the competition will revert to a 15-team format, with one Australian side and two South African sides being axed. The South African teams landed on their feet in the European league formerly known as [=Pro12=], now [=Pro14=] (see below). It is a showcase of "basketball" style rugby, played in generally agreeable weather on firm grounds by teams whose primary concern after winning is to put on a great show. It helps that the big four countries' "playing styles" from which franchises are drawn have an interesting dynamic based on a cultural disposition to play a certain brand of rugby - the Australian and New Zealand teams favor skillful passing and inspired unstructured play (with the Australians far more unpredictable for both good and ill), South African teams share the Springboks' mastery of the set piece, and the Argentines make it a point to beat the living daylights out of their opponents - surely an exciting spectacle when you see the techniques thrown against each other. The tournament's supervising body also aims to encourage a grand spectacle. It has seen a fairly broad spread of winners, with the most successful teams unsurprisingly tending to hail from New Zealand - but both Australian and South African teams have won it as well. The reigning champions are the Crusaders of New Zealand.

* '''Top 14''' - the premier French domestic competition. 14 (clever, eh?) teams compete against each other across 26 regular season games and a six-team playoff, with two quarterfinals, a pair of semifinals and a final. The final, normally at Stade de France in the inner Paris suburb of Saint-Denis (though held in Barcelona in 2016 due to a scheduling conflict with [[UsefulNotes/EuropeanChampionship UEFA Euro 2016]]), is one of France's biggest sporting events and has a party atmosphere. The competition has been running since 1892 and is without much question the most popular non-international domestic competition in the world. The French, it turns out (especially in the south), are crazy about rugby, and the [=T14=] is rapidly becoming rugby's equivalent of the UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague, with star players from around the world turning out in front of huge, rabid crowds and being paid comparatively substantial sums of money. It is also believed by some to be the reason French international rugby has been on the wane for the better part of a decade, and it's a tough sell for the neutral given the intense desire of every team to win every game (the league operates a promotion and relegation system with the second-level Rugby Pro [=D2=], and every team is desperate to avoid relegation, meaning games are often played in a very cautious and risk-free manner). The reigning champions are Clermont Auvergne, hailing from one of the country's southern rugby hotbeds, Clermont-Ferrand.

b) Run the ball up the gut with your forwards (traditionally, the fat guys. Nowadays, they generally look like they could eat a power lifter alive and run fast enough to catch them). Not so entertaining, but it works.\\

The differences from UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague (a related football code) are mostly subtle to outsiders. Union has 15-player teams; League has 13-player teams. Union is traditionally the gentlemen's game (though it can be played by women); League is the working-class game. This distinction is only (if ever) true for certain regions (specifically the North and South of England, with the North being a traditional stronghold of Rugby League and Union dominating across the South, and the North and South of France, where it's inverted) and the accusation is commonly used by League fans as an insult. It's also averted in UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} and New Zealand, among other places. However, in England at least, it holds true at International level. In 2013, 12 of the 24 members of the England squad were privately educated, while 12 were state educated (while one player, Ben Foden, managed to be both). Only 7% of the entire British population is privately educated. By contrast, 6 of the 33-man Rugby League Squad were privately educated. This is still disproportionate, but less obviously so. Players can and do cross codes from one to the other (usually from League to Union) and some, like legendary England winger Jason Robinson are very successful. Others, not so much. Rugby League is also a bit more similar to American Football than Union (the limited number of tackles[=/=]downs for instance) and a handful of players have tried crossing over, one even making it to the NFL.

* '''World Rugby Sevens Series'''[[note]]Per corporate naming, called the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series[[/note]] — An annual series of tournaments for national sevens teams conducted since 1999–2000. In the next season (2017–18), the tour will have 10 stops: Dubai, South Africa (Cape Town), Australia (Sydney), New Zealand (Hamilton; moved from its former site of Wellington), Canada (Vancouver), the USA (Las Vegas), Singapore, Hong Kong, France (Paris), and England (London). Each tournament except for Hong Kong involves 16 teams competing for two distinct trophies, plus points toward the overall series championship. Fifteen of these teams are "core teams" that compete in each event during a given season. The Hong Kong event incorporates a separate 12-team tournament that, since the 2013–14 season, has been used for core team qualification for the following season. The winner of this tournament is assured a core team place in the next season, replacing the core team that finished with the fewest points at the end of the series. The reigning champions are South Africa (their second title), and Fiji won the two titles before that (and three in all), but New Zealand have dominated this series, winning 12 times in all.

* '''Top 14''' - the premier French domestic competition. 14 (clever, eh?) teams compete against each other across 26 regular season games and a six-team playoff, with two quarterfinals, a pair of semifinals and a final. The final, normally at Stade de France in the inner Paris suburb of Saint-Denis (though held in Barcelona in 2016 due to a scheduling conflict with [[UsefulNotes/EuropeanChampionship UEFA Euro 2016]]), is one of France's biggest sporting events and has a party atmosphere. The competition has been running since 1892 and is without much question the most popular non-international domestic competition in the world. The French, it turns out (especially in the south), are crazy about rugby, and the [=T14=] is rapidly becoming rugby's equivalent of the UsefulNotes/EnglishPremierLeague, with star players from around the world turning out in front of huge, rabid crowds and being paid comparatively substantial sums of money. It is also believed by some to be the reason French international rugby has been on the wane for the better part of a decade, and it's a tough sell for the neutral given the intense desire of every team to win every game (the league operates a promotion and relegation system with the second-level Rugby Pro [=D2=], and every team is desperate to avoid relegation, meaning games are often played in a very cautious and risk-free manner). The reigning champions are Clermont Auvergne, hailing from Clermont-Ferrand in the country's southern rugby hotbed.

However, things aren't quite that simple - a good rule of thumb is that Rugby has almost no protective gear and fairly strict rules about what you can do to people, and American Football has a lot of protective gear and almost no rules about what you can do to people. Also, American Football players run the gamut from ''very'' big and heavy to rather lightweight - especially at the semi pro level. In Rugby there are certain positions that tend to attract players of more or less weight, but the specialisation is a lot less pronounced than it used to be - Forwards used to be [[StoutStrength huge, fat]] [[MightyGlacier and slow,]] while Backs, especially wingers, [[FragileSpeedster were small and fast.]] The last great example of the latter was Shane 'Shimmering Shane' Williams, a 5'8" multiple Grand Slam Winner with Wales and was called up to the Lions squad (composed of the best players in the British Isles) as injury cover at the age of ''36'' when he'd be due to fly out as a ''commentator''. Now, the backs are usually faster, less hairy and more technical versions of the forwards, who have themselves slimmed down, skilled up and sped up - indeed, it's not out of the ordinary to have a winger who's actually heavier than some forwards. The TropeMaker and TropeCodifier for today's giant wingers was late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, who weighed in at about 260 pounds (a touch less than 120 kilos). Since then, many modern wingers approach Lomu's size, with current examples including Wales' George North, who clocks in at "only" 240 pounds, and Fijian Nemani Nadolo, who's listed at close to ''300 pounds''. You do ''not'' want someone like that coming at you without any protection. In other words, ''everyone'' is a LightningBruiser.

* '''The National Rugby Championship''' - Australia's equivalent to the Mitre 10 and Currie Cup competitions. The NRC is, in contrast to most other domestic rugby competitions, very young indeed, having been established in 2014 (although there have been other similar competitions in the past). Rugby faces a unique challenge in Australia - although the only major rugby countries where it is the most popular sport are New Zealand and Wales, in most of the rest of the world it only really has to compete with UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball (and maybe Gaelic games in Ireland) for the public's affections. In Australia however, not only is rugby not the most popular national sport, not only is it not the second most popular sport, it isn't even the second most popular ''form of football''. UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague and UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball are all generally more popular than rugby union, not to mention the national obsession that is UsefulNotes/{{cricket}}. As a result Aussie rugby has generally been slightly anaemic at the domestic level, fuelled mainly by intense popularity among the nation's private schools and a few local club competitions (especially in the state of New South Wales). The NRC represents the latest attempt to surpass that obstacle and raise the profile of the game among Australia's sports-mad population - as yet the jury is out on how successful that attempt is. The reigning champions are the Perth Spirit. The NRC began with nine teams, but a team from Sydney folded after the 2015 season. It returned to nine teams for 2017 with the entry of the UsefulNotes/{{Fiji}}an Drua, a developmental side for that country's national team.

** The competition began in 2001 as strictly a Celtic affair, involving Irish provinces, Scottish super-districts, and top-level Welsh clubs. Two years later, Wales regionalised its top tier of rugby, going from nine clubs to four regions. (The clubs turned into developmental operations for the regions.) In 2011, two Italian sides were added, bringing the competition to 12 teams. Most recently, the two clubs that South Africa had axed from Super Rugby after its 2017 season were invited to join from the 2017–18 season forward. The league duly changed its name to [=Pro14=] at that point.[[note]]While travel issues were a potential stumbling block, South Africa provided a huge TV market relative to the Celtic nations, in a time zone amenable to live TV coverage in Europe. Depending on the time of year and the exact location, the time difference between South Africa and the rest of the [=Pro14=] is anywhere from 0 to 2 hours.[[/note]]

It is one of the few sports that the English can claim to be genuine world beaters at, with their making appearances in three out of seven rugby World Cup finals and winning it once, with ''that'' famous drop goal from Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. They're the one Northern Hemisphere team that can consistently (i.e. not counting the French) go into matches against the Wallabies and the Springboks with even odds of winning, and with the All Blacks with even odds of not being absolutely thrashed. The England rugby team is renowned both for the poshness of the players, as mentioned above, and for the sheer power of the forward pack (think linemen and linebackers). Whatever state the rest of the team is in, the England scrum is generally a thing to be feared and always a force to be reckoned with. That said, they are still an English sports team and as such are never all that far away from a really spectacular public collapse. Even with this general tendency they recently outdid themselves, becoming the first sole hosts of a World Cup to fail to make it past the group stage after an injury hit Wales squirmed past them at Twickenham. They have bounced back very quickly however to win their first Six Nations Grand Slam in 13 years and are currently ranked as the second best team in the world. In Sevens Team GB did quite respectably for itself, coming in second at the inaugural Olympic men's tournament behind dominant Fiji. The women's side placed fourth behind Canada, New Zealand and gold medallists Australia.

The Italians, meanwhile, were until recently the ButtMonkey of Europe, with each of the other teams in the Six Nations regarding their match against Italy as a chance to rack up points and have a bit of fun. However, after years of pushing and patiently developing a formidable forward pack, they finally beat Scotland in 2015 and ran (an admittedly very off-form) Wales close in a World Cup warm-up match later that year. That said, even their own players admit that they lack strength in depth and in the last two years of the Six Nations, the Welsh have beaten them by an aggregate score of 128-35.

In Wales and New Zealand, it is something close to a national religion, with both nations dominating their regions [[note]]or at least, in the case of the Welsh, when they get their act together. When that happens, they go through every other team in the Northern Hemisphere like a hot knife through butter. When they don't... not so much, though they still aren't pushovers[[/note]] despite their relatively minuscule populations. Wales are perennial favourites for the Six Nations title (though in a good year, there are at least four serious challengers for the title) and completed the Grand Slam, defeating all five other teams, three times in seven years (2005, 2008, 2012). New Zealand extend this dominance worldwide, and the All Blacks have long since developed a global reputation for invincibility which is only rarely challenged. They are unique in international sports in that they have a winning record against ''every single team'' that they have ever played. It is considered a major achievement for any of the Northern Hemisphere superpowers (England, France, Ireland and Wales) to even run the All Blacks close: France have won the most encounters with New Zealand with 12 from 55. England have won 7 from 40, Wales 3 from 30 (and they haven't won since 1963...) and Ireland only one from 30, with that win not coming until their 29th attempt in 2016 (in, of all places, ''UsefulNotes/{{Chicago}}''). Their closest competitors, the Wallabies of Australia, have a record of 42–109 against New Zealand. It should be noted that the Wallabies are nearly as invincible for other teams that aren't New Zealand, with only the Springboks and England generally giving them a contest. They can't manage a 33% win rate against New Zealand.

* '''Currie Cup''' - the South African equivalent of the Mitre 10. As with the Mitre 10 the CC has a comparatively low profile, but South Africa is sufficiently rugby mad that it still has a decent buzz surrounding it. The competition has been running since 1892, and is probably the most efficient way to watch a combination of rugby, and men getting put through the wringer – South African rugby has a well-deserved reputation for physicality, and the players who compete in it are no shrinking violets. The reigning champions are the Free State Cheetahs from Bloemfontein.[[note]][[RunningGag Which provide most of the core players]] for one of the two new South African [=Pro14=] sides.[[/note]]

However, things aren't quite that simple - a good rule of thumb is that Rugby has almost no protective gear and fairly strict rules about what you can do to people, and American Football has a lot of protective gear and almost no rules about what you can do to people. Also, American Football players run the gamut from ''very'' big and heavy to rather lightweight - especially at the semi pro level. In Rugby there are certain positions that tend to attract players of more or less weight, but the specialisation is a lot less pronounced than it used to be - Forwards used to be [[StoutStrength huge, fat]] [[MightyGlacier and slow,]] while Backs, especially wingers, [[FragileSpeedster were small and fast.]] The last great example of the latter was Shane 'Shimmering Shane' Williams, a 5'8" multiple Grand Slam Winner with Wales and was called up to the Lions squad (composed of the best players in the British Isles) as injury cover at the age of ''36'' when he'd be due to fly out as a ''commentator''. Now, the backs are usually faster, less hairy and more technical versions of the forwards, who have themselves slimmed down, skilled up and sped up - indeed, it's not out of the ordinary to have a winger who's actually heavier than some forwards. The TropeMaker and TropeCodifier for today's giant wingers was late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, who weighed in at about 260 pounds (a touch less than 120 kilos). Since then, many modern wingers approach Lomu's size, with current examples including Wales' George North, who clocks in at "only" 240 pounds, and Fijian Nemani Nadolo, who's listed at close to '''300 pounds'''. You do ''not'' want someone like that coming at you without any protection. In other words, ''everyone'' is a LightningBruiser.

However, things aren't quite that simple - a good rule of thumb is that Rugby has almost no protective gear and fairly strict rules about what you can do to people, and American Football has a lot of protective gear and almost no rules about what you can do to people. Also, American Football players run the gamut from ''very'' big and heavy to rather lightweight - especially at the semi pro level. In Rugby there are certain positions that tend to attract players of more or less weight, but the specialisation is a lot less pronounced than it used to be - Forwards used to be [[StoutStrength huge, fat]] [[MightyGlacier and slow,]] while Backs, especially wingers, [[FragileSpeedster were small and fast.]] The last great example of the latter was Shane 'Shimmering Shane' Williams, a 5'8" multiple Grand Slam Winner with Wales and was called up to the Lions squad (composed of the best players in the British Isles) as injury cover at the age of ''36'' when he'd be due to fly out as a ''commentator''. Now, the backs are usually faster, less hairy and more technical versions of the forwards, who have themselves slimmed down, skilled up and sped up - indeed, it's not out of the ordinary to have a winger who's actually heavier than some forwards. The TropeMaker and TropeCodifier for today's giant wingers was late All Blacks great Jonah Lomu, who weighed in at about 260 pounds (a touch less than 120 kilos). Since then, many modern wingers approach Lomu's size, with one current example being Wales winger George North, who clocks in at "only" 240 pounds. You do ''not'' want someone like that coming at you without any protection. In other words, ''everyone'' is a LightningBruiser.

* '''The National Rugby Championship''' - Australia's equivalent to the Mitre 10 and Currie Cup competitions. The NRC is, in contrast to most other domestic rugby competitions, very young indeed, having been established in 2014 (although there have been other similar competitions in the past). Rugby faces a unique challenge in Australia - although the only major rugby countries where it is the most popular sport are New Zealand and Wales, in most of the rest of the world it only really has to compete with UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball (and maybe Gaelic games in Ireland) for the public's affections. In Australia however, not only is rugby not the most popular national sport, not only is it not the second most popular sport, it isn't even the second most popular ''form of football''. UsefulNotes/AssociationFootball, UsefulNotes/RugbyLeague and UsefulNotes/AustralianRulesFootball are all generally more popular than rugby union, not to mention the national obsession that is UsefulNotes/{{cricket}}. As a result Aussie rugby has generally been slightly anaemic at the domestic level, fuelled mainly by intense popularity among the nation's private schools and a few local club competitions (especially in the state of New South Wales). The NRC represents the latest attempt to surpass that obstacle and raise the profile of the game among Australia's sports-mad population - as yet the jury is out on how successful that attempt is. The reigning champions are the Perth Spirit. The NRC began with nine teams, but a team from Sydney folded after the 2015 season. It will return to nine teams for 2017 with the entry of a team from Fiji.

In Wales and New Zealand, it is something close to a national religion, with both nations dominating their regions [[note]]or at least, in the case of the Welsh, when they get their act together. When that happens, they go through every other team in the Northern Hemisphere like a hot knife through butter. When they don't... not so much, though they still aren't pushovers[[/note]] despite their relatively minuscule populations. Wales are perennial favourites for the Six Nations title (though in a good year, there are at least four serious challengers for the title) and completed the Grand Slam, defeating all five other teams, three times in seven years (2005, 2008, 2012). New Zealand extend this dominance worldwide, and the All Blacks have long since developed a global reputation for invincibility which is only rarely challenged. They are unique in international sports in that they have a winning record against ''every single team'' that they have ever played. It is considered a major achievement for any of the Northern Hemisphere superpowers (England, France, Ireland and Wales) to even run the All Blacks close: France have won the most encounters with New Zealand with 12 from 55. England have won 7 from 40, Wales 3 from 30 (and they haven't won since 1963...) and Ireland only one from 30, with that win not coming until their 29th attempt in 2016. Their closest competitors, the Wallabies of Australia, have a record of 42–109 against New Zealand. It should be noted that the Wallabies are nearly as invincible for other teams that aren't New Zealand, with only the Springboks and England generally giving them a contest. They can't manage a 33% win rate against New Zealand.

* '''The Rugby Championship''' — Created as the Tri Nations Series in 1996, shortly after the sport became professional, and initially involving South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. In 2012, Argentina was invited to join and the competition adopted its current name. The governing body is SANZAAR, a joint venture between the governing bodies of the participating countries (originally SANZAR until Argentina became a full member in 2016). New Zealand are the reigning champions, having won the 2016 edition with [[CurbstompBattle two rounds to spare]].

* '''Super Rugby''' - A contest between domestic teams (generally referred to as franchises rather than clubs) from the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), plus one, slightly token team from Japan. It is contested annually, and as you'd expect from a competition featuring teams from some of the best rugby nations in the world, the quality is generally considered to be second only to international rugby. This is somewhat debatable at times, and for years there has been a lengthy argument to be had regarding the devaluing or otherwise of the competition as it slowly expanded. It started life as a competition between 6 provincial sides from Australia and New Zealand, but gradually expanded to incorporate a total of 18 franchises (5 each for New Zealand and Australia, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Japan and 6 from South Africa - the sixth South African team being added partially for money but mainly for domestic political reasons). The aftermath of the most recent expansion (from 15 to 18 teams) saw noticeable declines in interest and competitiveness in Australia and to a lesser extent South Africa, which was apparently the last straw for New Zealand and SANZAAR. After the 2017 season, the competition will revert to a 15-team format, with one Australian side and two South African sides being axed. The South African teams would land on their feet in the European league formerly known as [=Pro12=], now [=Pro14=] (see below). It is a showcase of "basketball" style rugby, played in generally agreeable weather on firm grounds by teams whose primary concern after winning is to put on a great show. It helps that the big four countries' "playing styles" from which franchises are drawn have an interesting dynamic based on a cultural disposition to play a certain brand of rugby - the Australian and New Zealand teams favor skillful passing and inspired unstructured play (with the Australians far more unpredictable for both good and ill), South African teams share the Springboks' mastery of the set piece, and the Argentines make it a point to beat the living daylights out of their opponents - surely an exciting spectacle when you see the techniques thrown against each other. The tournament's supervising body also aims to encourage a grand spectacle. It has seen a fairly broad spread of winners, with the most successful teams unsurprisingly tending to hail from New Zealand - but both Australian and South African teams have won it as well. The reigning champions are the Crusaders of New Zealand.

As with most sports codified and then popularised around the world via the British, the pinnacle of the game is the competition between international teams. As with most sports in general, there is a TierSystem in which certain teams are generally more likely to triumph over others. The thing about rugby however is that, due to the complexity and physical intensity of the game and the variety of differing ways to score, major upsets are fairly rare. When you go up against a significantly better rugby team than you, you can generally expect that you will be beaten. This has the effect ([[ATouchOfClassEthnicityAndReligion appropriately]], perhaps, for a sport that emerged in Britain) of producing a sort of "caste system" in both domestic club competitions and the international circuit. At the top rung are the nations defined by the sport's governing body as "Tier 1" teams - the best of the best, all of whom have or are involved in professional or semi-professional competitions each year. These teams can also be divided based on which hemisphere they are found in, as this determines which transnational competitions they compete in. In the Northern Hemisphere, these are England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. In the Southern Hemisphere, they consist of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Note that, with the curious exceptions of Italy, France and Argentina, all of these nations were once part of the British Commonwealth, which is how the game was popularised there. And Argentina really isn't that large of an exception—British expats, who played a major role in Argentina's industrial development, brought the sport to the country in the 1870s. As time goes by the dominance of the top teams is diminishing - at the most recent World Cup, Japan stunned South Africa and pretty much the rest of the world by recording a win over the Springboks, which was also their second ever win in the entire history of the World Cup (with their first coming against Zimbabwe in 1991). For reference, South Africa have won the whole thing twice and are at any given time very likely to be in the top 3 teams in the world. Japan, by contrast, have never been higher in the world rugby rankings then ''ninth''.

* Llamedosian Rules Fifteen-A-Side Foot-The-Ball is explored as a sub-theme in Creator/AAPessimal's tale ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12321109/33/Gap-Year-Adventures Gap Year Adventures]]''. The culture surrounding "llamedosian Rules" is viewed largely via the Springboeks, a side playing in the senior Ankh-Morpork league who are drawn from emigrants from [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]]. A game between the Bokkies and the [[UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} Fourecksian Wallabies]] is discussed in detail. Other Ankh-Morpork teams mentioned are the Harlequins (Fools' Guild senior XV), the Wasps (Guild of Assassins) the Barbarians (Young Men's Pagan Association),[[note]]There is a real rugby team called the Barbarians, who are an invitation-only international DreamTeam who play exhibition matches against various other clubs and international sides[[/note]] and a representative team from [[UsefulNotes/NewZealand the Foggy Islands]] that plays all in black. The sort of rousing songs players might give voice to are also discussed. One little ditty about Auntie Tina is quoted, with hand-gestures toi get the point accross to those who cannot speak Vondalaans. [[note]]A Discworld language not unlike Afrikaans.[[/note]]

* '''Super Rugby''' - A contest between domestic teams (generally referred to as franchises rather than clubs) from the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), plus one, slightly token team from Japan. It is contested annually, and as you'd expect from a competition featuring teams from some of the best rugby nations in the world, the quality is generally considered to be second only to international rugby. This is somewhat debatable at times, and for years there has been a lengthy argument to be had regarding the devaluing or otherwise of the competition as it slowly expanded. It started life as a competition between 6 provincial sides from Australia and New Zealand, but gradually expanded to incorporate a total of 18 franchises (5 each for New Zealand and Australia, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Japan and 6 from South Africa - the sixth South African team being added partially for money but mainly for domestic political reasons). The aftermath of the most recent expansion (from 15 to 18 teams) saw noticeable declines in interest and competitiveness in Australia and to a lesser extent South Africa, which was apparently the last straw for New Zealand and SANZAAR. After the 2017 season, the competition will revert to a 15-team format, with one Australian side and two South African sides being axed. The South African teams would land on their feet in the European league formerly known as [=Pro12=], now [=Pro14=] (see below). It is a showcase of "basketball" style rugby, played in generally agreeable weather on firm grounds by teams whose primary concern after winning is to put on a great show. It helps that the big four countries' "playing styles" from which franchises are drawn have an interesting dynamic based on a cultural disposition to play a certain brand of rugby - the Australian and New Zealand teams favor skillful passing and inspired unstructured play (with the Australians far more unpredictable for both good and ill), South African teams share the Springboks' mastery of the set piece, and the Argentines make it a point to beat the living daylights out of their opponents - surely an exciting spectacle when you see the techniques thrown against each other. The tournament's supervising body also aims to encourage a grand spectacle. It has seen a fairly broad spread of winners, with the most successful teams unsurprisingly tending to hail from New Zealand - but both Australian and South African teams have won it as well. The reigning champions are the Hurricanes of New Zealand.

* '''Mitre 10 Cup''' - New Zealand's premier entirely domestic competition, and thus arguably the highest quality (on average at least) rugby competition in the world. It is however not particularly well-known outside of rugby mad New Zealand, for the simple reason that Super Rugby is generally treated as the Southern Hemisphere equivalent of the domestic competitions listed above. All the same if your primary concern is watching the highest consistent levels of skill on a regular basis the Mitre 10 is probably where you should look. It operates with a promotion and relegation structure, but the New Zealand rugby culture means that it still averages a very high number of tries scored per game, which is usually a hallmark of both high quality and teams playing with risk and abandon. The Mitre 10 also functions, like all domestic competitions, as the pipeline for the next generation of rugby talent, so it provides an opportunity to see up-and-coming All Blacks as they first arrive on the scene - along with the current ones in fact, because the competition runs at a different time to Super Rugby and thus allows players to keep getting games in and honing their skills when normally they'd be in the off-season. The reigning champions are Canterbury, based in the South Island city of Christchurch.
* '''Currie Cup''' - the South African equivalent of the Mitre 10. As with the Mitre 10 the CC has a comparatively low profile, but South Africa is sufficiently rugby mad that it still has a decent buzz surrounding it. The competition has been running since 1892, and is probably the most efficient way to watch a combination of rugby, and men getting put through the wringer – South African rugby has a well-deserved reputation for physicality, and the players who compete in it are no shrinking violets. The reigning champions are the Free State Cheetahs from Bloemfontein.[[note]]Which, incidentally, provide most of the core players for one of the two new South African [=Pro14=] sides.[[/note]]

* Llamedosian Rules Fifteen-A-Side Foot-The-Ball is explored as a sub-theme in Creator/AAPessimal's tale ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12321109/33/Gap-Year-Adventures Gap Year Adventures]]''. The culture surrounding "llamedosian Rules" is viewed largely via the Springboeks, a side playing in the senior Ankh-Morpork league who are drawn from emigrants from [[UsefulNotes/SouthAfrica Rimwards Howondaland]]. A game between the Bokkies and the [[UsefulNotes/{{Australia}} Fourecksian Wallabies]] is discussed in detail. Other Ankh-Morpork teams mentioned are the Harlequins (Fools' Guild senior XV), the Wasps (Guild of Assassins) the Barbarians (Young Men's Pagan Association), and a representative team from [[UsefulNotes/NewZealand the Foggy Islands]] that plays all in black. The sort of rousing songs players might give voice to are also discussed. One little ditty about Auntie Tina is quoted, with hand-gestures toi get the point accross to those who cannot speak Vondalaans. [[note]]A Discworld language not unlike Afrikaans.[[/note]]

* '''Super Rugby''' - A contest between domestic teams (generally referred to as franchises rather than clubs) from the SANZAAR nations (South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina), plus one, slightly token team from Japan. It is contested annually, and as you'd expect from a competition featuring teams from some of the best rugby nations in the world, the quality is generally considered to be second only to international rugby. This is somewhat debatable at times, and for years there has been a lengthy argument to be had regarding the devaluing or otherwise of the competition as it slowly expanded. It started life as a competition between 6 provincial sides from Australia and New Zealand, but gradually expanded to incorporate a total of 18 franchises (5 each for New Zealand and Australia, 1 from Argentina, 1 from Japan and 6 from South Africa - the sixth South African team being added partially for money but mainly for domestic political reasons). The aftermath of the most recent expansion (from 15 to 18 teams) saw noticeable declines in interest and competitiveness in Australia and to a lesser extent South Africa, which was apparently the last straw for New Zealand and SANZAAR. After the 2017 season, the competition will revert to a 15-team format, with one Australian side and two South African sides being axed. It is a showcase of "basketball" style rugby, played in generally agreeable weather on firm grounds by teams whose primary concern after winning is to put on a great show. It helps that the big four countries' "playing styles" from which franchises are drawn have an interesting dynamic based on a cultural disposition to play a certain brand of rugby - the Australian and New Zealand teams favor skillful passing and inspired unstructured play (with the Australians far more unpredictable for both good and ill), South African teams share the Springboks' mastery of the set piece, and the Argentines make it a point to beat the living daylights out of their opponents - surely an exciting spectacle when you see the techniques thrown against each other. The tournament's supervising body also aims to encourage a grand spectacle. It has seen a fairly broad spread of winners, with the most successful teams unsurprisingly tending to hail from New Zealand - but both Australian and South African teams have won it as well. The reigning champions are the Hurricanes of New Zealand.

* '''Aviva Premiership''' - the English domestic competition. 12 teams from around the country compete every year across 22 regular season games (playing each opponent once at home and once away), two semi-finals and one grand final, played out at the home of English rugby, Twickenham Stadium. Very much plays second fiddle to the Top 14 in terms of revenue and even the [=Pro12=] in terms of viewership, but despite this the Aviva Premiership is one of the top leagues in the world and is slowly gaining pace and success. In particular, the standard of rugby played in the Aviva Premiership is generally considered, currently at least, to be higher than the [=Pro12=] and more interesting than the Top 14, and the increase in commercial success is starting to mean that the best international players are increasingly being drawn to England over France (though the language issue is also likely a factor). Like the [=T14=] it operates with a promotion and relegation model, but the more amicable relationship between the English national administration and the clubs compared to the situation in France and the less frenzied financial pressures mean that teams are not quite as risk-averse. The reigning champions are [[UsefulNotes/TheWestCountry Exeter]] Chiefs.
* '''Guinness [=Pro12=]''' - formerly (and in some quarters unofficially still) known as the Celtic League, this is a curious beast by domestic rugby standards, involving an international domestic competition at the level below the ERCC. It consists of 4 teams from Ireland ([[UsefulNotes/TheTroubles including Ulster which overlaps with Northern Ireland]]), 4 from Wales, 2 from Scotland and 2 from Italy (who were just happy to be invited). Played to the same general structure as the Aviva Premiership, it has higher viewing figures thanks to being played across a less concentrated population. The standard of rugby, at least among the top teams, is very high and several teams who contest the [=Pro12=] have gone on to become famous European champions. In particular the Irish provinces (it's a local thing) of Leinster and Munster enjoyed something of a golden age in the 00s, although both are in decline at present. The other thing to note about the [=Pro12=] is that it doesn't have promotion or relegation, meaning teams are free to play in a more carefree, Southern Hemisphere-esque fashion than they are in the Aviva Premiership or Top 14. The reigning champions are the Scarlets, from the tongue-twisting town (at least for those who don't speak Welsh) of Llanelli in the west of Wales.
** As of this writing (July 2017), the league is seriously considering expanding well beyond its European base:
*** First, reports came out that an expansion into North America was being discussed, with one team in the USA (most likely in Houston or Washington DC) and one in Canada (most likely Toronto, or possibly Vancouver); Georgia (the country) and Germany are also pushing to be included. Any North American expansion will likely not take place until at least the 2018–19 season.
*** A few weeks later, it was reported that the two South African sides set to be axed from Super Rugby would be invited to join [=Pro12=] from the 2017–18 season forward; as of late July, it now looks all but certain that said South African teams will indeed join.[[note]]Travel issues are arguably less of a factor in an expansion to South Africa than North America. Although the distance from the Celtic nations to South Africa is greater than the comparable distance to eastern North America, the more significant issue in a sporting context, especially as it relates to TV coverage, is time zones. Depending on the time of year, the time difference between South Africa and the rest of the [=Pro12=] is anywhere from 0 to 2 hours. By contrast, Toronto is usually 5 hours behind the UK and Ireland (and 6 behind Italy), with Houston always being an hour behind Toronto and Vancouver being two hours behind Houston.[[/note]] It looks likely that at a minimum, [=Pro12=] will become [=Pro14=] when and if the SA teams join, with another name change possible should expansion to North America occur; the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship was proposed when expansion talk was focused solely on North America.

* '''Currie Cup''' - the South African equivalent of the Mitre 10. As with the Mitre 10 the CC has a comparatively low profile, but South Africa is sufficiently rugby mad that it still has a decent buzz surrounding it. The competition has been running since 1892, and is probably the most efficient way to watch a combination of rugby, and men getting put through the wringer – South African rugby has a well-deserved reputation for physicality, and the players who compete in it are no shrinking violets. The reigning champions are the Free State Cheetahs from Bloemfontein.

* Shed a tear or two for '''PRO Rugby''', the USA's first attempt to establish a professional rugby competition. Founded in late 2015, it was initially planned to involve 6 teams, but ended up with only 5. These teams competed against each other home and away, with the winner (unusually in rugby, which has embraced the end-of-season playoff concept in virtually all domestic competitions) determined by the highest placed team at the end of the season. PRO Rugby was in a slightly awkward position lying somewhere between "professional rugby competition" and "proof of concept", but its first season was considered a success based on performance vs. expectations. However, the league found itself in a nasty dispute with USA Rugby (the national federation), including claims of unpaid wages by some of the league's highest-profile players, that caused the league to fold before it got a chance at a second season. The plans of [=Pro12=] to expand into North America also didn't help matters. The inaugural and only champions were the Denver Stampede. There are plans for a Major League Rugby starting 2018 with teams from Seattle, Salt Lake City, Denver, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Dallas, Austin, Houston and New Orleans, though time will tell if it will last.

*** A few weeks later, it was reported that the two South African sides set to be axed from Super Rugby would be invited to join [=Pro12=] from the 2017–18 season forward.[[note]]Travel issues are arguably less of a factor in an expansion to South Africa than North America. Although the distance from the Celtic nations to South Africa is greater than the comparable distance to eastern North America, the more significant issue in a sporting context, especially as it relates to TV coverage, is time zones. Depending on the time of year, the time difference between South Africa and the rest of the [=Pro12=] is anywhere from 0 to 2 hours. By contrast, Toronto is usually 5 hours behind the UK and Ireland (and 6 behind Italy), with Houston always being an hour behind Toronto and Vancouver being two hours behind Houston.[[/note]] It's likely that the competition will be renamed if either or both of these expansions take place; the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship was proposed when expansion talk was focused solely on North America.

* '''The Lions Tour''' - a quadrennial tour by the British and Irish Lions (generally abbreviated to simply 'the Lions'), a squad composed of the best players in the British Isles, of one of the three traditional Southern Hemisphere nations (i.e., not counting Argentina). Traditionally, the Lions play several warm-up games against provincial sides or top club teams before taking on the national team in three matches. The results are generally fairly even; there has not been a whitewash since the All Blacks swept the Lions 3–0 in 2005. The 2009 tour of South Africa ended with the Springboks winning the Test series 2–1; the 2013 tour of Australia resulted in the same Test series score, but with the Lions winning; and the most recent tour of New Zealand in 2017 saw a drawn Test series (1–1–1). On the latter tour, the [=ABs=] convincingly won the first Test 30–15, the Lions came back to win the second Test 24–21, and the final Test ended 15–15, with the [=ABs=] literally [[DownToTheLastPlay inches from a winning try]]. This was the Lions' first drawn Test series since their series with the Boks in 1955.

*** First, reports came out that an expansion into North America was being discussed, with one team in the USA (most likely in Houston) and one in Canada (most likely Toronto, or possibly Vancouver); Georgia (the country) and Germany are also pushing to be included. Any North American expansion will likely not take place until at least the 2018–19 season.

* Shed a tear or two for '''PRO Rugby''', the USA's first attempt to establish a professional rugby competition. Founded in late 2015, it was initially planned to involve 6 teams, but ended up with only 5. These teams competed against each other home and away, with the winner (unusually in rugby, which has embraced the end-of-season playoff concept in virtually all domestic competitions) determined by the highest placed team at the end of the season. PRO Rugby was in a slightly awkward position lying somewhere between "professional rugby competition" and "proof of concept", but its first season was considered a success based on performance vs. expectations. However, the league found itself in a nasty dispute with USA Rugby (the national federation), including claims of unpaid wages by some of the league's highest-profile players, that caused the league to fold before it got a chance at a second season. The plans of [=Pro12=] to expand into North America also didn't help matters. The inaugural and only champions were the Denver Stampede.

* '''The Lions Tour''' - a quadrennial tour by the British and Irish Lions (generally abbreviated to simply 'the Lions'), a squad composed of the best players in the British Isles, of one of the three traditional Southern Hemisphere nations (i.e., not counting Argentina). Traditionally, the Lions play several warm-up games against provincial sides or top club teams before taking on the national team in three matches. The results are generally fairly even, with the last two tours (of South Africa and Australia respectively) in 2009 and 2013 both ending with a series score of 2-1 in the winning team's favour. The Lions won the last tour, with the first two test matches being extremely close (23-21 to the Lions and 16-15 to Australia), before the Lions handed out a crushing 41-16 defeat to the Wallabies.

* '''Aviva Premiership''' - the English domestic competition. 12 teams from around the country compete every year across 22 regular season games (playing each opponent once at home and once away), two semi-finals and one grand final, played out at the home of English rugby, Twickenham Stadium. Very much plays second fiddle to the Top 14 in terms of revenue and even the [=Pro12=] in terms of viewership, but despite this the Aviva Premiership is one of the top leagues in the world and is slowly gaining pace and success. In particular, the standard of rugby played in the Aviva Premiership is generally considered, currently at least, to be higher than the [=Pro12=] and more interesting than the Top 14, and the increase in commercial success is starting to mean that the best international players are increasingly being drawn to England over France (though the language issue is also likely a factor). Like the [=T14=] it operates with a promotion and relegation model, but the more amicable relationship between the English national administration and the clubs compared to the situation in France and the less frenzied financial pressures mean that teams are not quite as risk-averse. The reigning champions are Exeter Chiefs.

** As of this writing (June 2017), the league is seriously considering expanding well beyond its European base:

*** A few weeks later, it was reported that the two South African sides set to be axed from Super Rugby would be invited to join [=Pro12=] from the 2017–18 season forward.[[note]]Travel issues are arguably less of a factor in an expansion to South Africa than North America. Although the distance from the Celtic nations to South Africa is greater than the comparable distance to eastern North America, the more significant issue in a sporting context, especially as it relates to TV coverage, is time zones. Depending on the time of year, the time difference between South Africa and the rest of the [=Pro12=] is anywhere from 0 to 2 hours. By contrast, Toronto is usually 5 hours behind the UK and Ireland, with Houston always being an hour behind Toronto and Vancouver being two hours behind Houston.[[/note]] It's likely that the competition will be renamed if either or both of these expansions take place; the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship was proposed when expansion talk was focused solely on North America.

The differences from RugbyLeague (a related football code) are mostly subtle to outsiders. Union has 15-player teams; League has 13-player teams. Union is traditionally the gentlemen's game (though it can be played by women); League is the working-class game. This distinction is only (if ever) true for certain regions (specifically the North and South of England, with the North being a traditional stronghold of Rugby League and Union dominating across the South, and the North and South of France, where it's inverted) and the accusation is commonly used by League fans as an insult. It's also averted in UsefulNotes/{{Wales}} and New Zealand, among other places. However, in England at least, it holds true at International level. In 2013, 12 of the 24 members of the England squad were privately educated, while 12 were state educated (while one player, Ben Foden, managed to be both). Only 7% of the entire British population is privately educated. By contrast, 6 of the 33-man Rugby League Squad were privately educated. This is still disproportionate, but less obviously so. Players can and do cross codes from one to the other (usually from League to Union) and some, like legendary England winger Jason Robinson are very successful. Others, not so much. Rugby League is also a bit more similar to American Football than Union (the limited number of tackles[=/=]downs for instance) and a handful of players have tried crossing over, one even making it to the NFL.

* '''The National Rugby Championship''' - Australia's equivalent to the Mitre 10 and Currie Cup competitions. The NRC is, in contrast to most other domestic rugby competitions, very young indeed, having been established in 2014 (although there have been other similar competitions in the past). Rugby faces a unique challenge in Australia - although the only major rugby countries where it is the most popular sport are New Zealand and Wales, in most of the rest of the world it only really has to compete with AssociationFootball (and maybe Gaelic games in Ireland) for the public's affections. In Australia however, not only is rugby not the most popular national sport, not only is it not the second most popular sport, it isn't even the second most popular ''form of football''. AssociationFootball, RugbyLeague and AustralianRulesFootball are all generally more popular than rugby union, not to mention the national obsession that is UsefulNotes/{{cricket}}. As a result Aussie rugby has generally been slightly anaemic at the domestic level, fuelled mainly by intense popularity among the nation's private schools and a few local club competitions (especially in the state of New South Wales). The NRC represents the latest attempt to surpass that obstacle and raise the profile of the game among Australia's sports-mad population - as yet the jury is out on how successful that attempt is. The reigning champions are the Perth Spirit. The NRC began with nine teams, but a team from Sydney folded after the 2015 season. It will return to nine teams for 2017 with the entry of a team from Fiji.

*** A few weeks later, it was reported that the two South African sides set to be axed from Super Rugby would be invited to join [=Pro12=] from the 2017–18 season forward.[[note]]Travel issues are arguably less of a factor in an expansion to South Africa than North America. Although the distance from the Celtic nations to South Africa is greater than the comparable distance to eastern North America, the more significant issue in a sporting context, especially as it relates to TV coverage, is time zones. Depending on the time of year, the time difference between South Africa and the rest of the [=Pro12=] is anywhere from 0 to 2 hours. By contrast, Toronto is usually 4 hours behind the UK and Ireland, with Houston always being an hour behind Toronto and Vancouver being two hours behind Houston.[[/note]] It's likely that the competition will be renamed if either or both of these expansions take place; the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship was proposed when expansion talk was focused solely on North America.

* '''Rugby World Cup Sevens''' — Traditionally the top prize for national sevens teams, it was first held in 1993. The winner receives the Melrose Cup, named after the Scottish town where sevens was first played. When sevens was added to the Olympic program for 2016, it was initially decided that the World Cup Sevens would be scrapped after 2013. However, it was later decided to retain the World Cup; the next event will take place in UsefulNotes/{{SanFrancisco}} in 2018, with future editions every four years thereafter. New Zealand are the current holders, winning in Moscow in 2013.

* '''Rugby World Cup Sevens''' — Traditionally the top prize for national sevens teams, it was first held in 1993. The winner receives the Melrose Cup, named after the Scottish town where sevens was first played. When sevens was added to the Olympic program for 2016, it was initially decided that the World Cup Sevens would be scrapped after 2013. However, it was later decided to retain the World Cup; the next event will take place in the USA in 2018, with future editions every four years thereafter. New Zealand are the current holders, winning in Moscow in 2013.

** As of this writing (June 2017), the league is seriously considering an expansion into North America, with one team in the USA (most likely in Houston) and one in Canada (most likely Toronto, or possibly Vancouver); Georgia (the country) and Germany are also pushing to be included. Any expansion will likely not take place until at least the 2018–19 season. Should the North American teams be added, the competition will be renamed the Guinness Atlantic Rugby Championship.

->''Rugby Union is a game where large men run at each other and then stomp on each other with spiked boots for 80 minutes.''