Canada Rugby League
Encyclopedia
Canada Rugby League is the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. Founded in 2010, the CRL organizes the Canada national rugby league team
Canada national rugby league team
The Canada national rugby league team represents Canada in international rugby league football tournaments.-1987-2000:Rugby league was re-introduced to Canada at an amateur level in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a short-lived 4-team domestic competition, known as the Tri-Counties Rugby...

 and is establishing a domestic competition.

History

Canada Rugby League was formed in February 2010 "with a vision to bring rugby league to the people of Canada". The organisation was founded to redevelop organized rugby league in Canada, which had been dormant since the Canadian Rugby League Federation folded in 2000. The CRL reestablished the Canada national rugby league team
Canada national rugby league team
The Canada national rugby league team represents Canada in international rugby league football tournaments.-1987-2000:Rugby league was re-introduced to Canada at an amateur level in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a short-lived 4-team domestic competition, known as the Tri-Counties Rugby...

 to participate in international competition and set a domestic league from which national team players would be drawn. The team played its first competitive game in ten years at the 2010 "War at the Shore" tournament, hosted by the American National Rugby League
American National Rugby League
The American National Rugby League is a rugby league football competition for semi-professional clubs in the United States. It is the country's first domestic rugby league competition...

 (AMNRL) in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

. In September 2010 CFL hosted its first international game in Canada, with Canada facing the United States
United States national rugby league team
-2008 & 2013 Rugby League World Cup Qualifying:In October 2006, The Tomahawks were to participate in a four team Atlantic qualifying pool for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, but South Africa and the West Indies withdrew. As a result, The Atlantic qualifying pool was reduced to a single game...

 in the Colonial Cup
Colonial Cup (rugby league)
The Colonial Cup is an international rugby league football challenge match played between the USA Tomahawks and the Canada Wolverines. The inaugural match was played in September, 2010 at the Richardson Memorial Stadium in Kingston, Ontario. The match was won by the USA Tomahawks 20 -16.In 2011,...

. Later that year they competed in the Rugby League Atlantic Cup in Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Florida in terms of both population and land area, and the largest city by area in the contiguous United States. It is the county seat of Duval County, with which the city government consolidated in 1968...

. Canada won its first international match since 2000 on July 31st, 2011 defeating Jamaica 40-10 in Markham, Ontario.

Domestic competition

The CRL has also been developing a Canada-based domestic league. In July 2010, the St. Catharines Bobcats, based in St. Catharines in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

's Niagara Region, were announced as the league's first domestic team. In September 2010 the Bobcats were joined by a second team, the Toronto City Saints. The Saints formed a relationship with the St Helens RLFC of the European Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in 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: thirteen from England and one from...

. The Bobcats and Saints played two games against each other, with players for the national squad being drawn from the two teams. Toronto won both games.

In 2011, the CRL announced the domestic competition would expand to four teams in Ontario. The St. Catharines Bobcats changed their name to the Niagara Bobcats, while two new clubs from the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

 area were announced. The two new clubs are the York Region Reds, based in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

's York Region, and the Scarborough Centurions, based in Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...

. York Region has a team partnership with the Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...

 of the Super League, while Scarborough has a partnership with the Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions
Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...

, who play in the European Co-operative Championship.

Additionally, a five-team competition in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

has been announced.

Logo

The Canada Rugby League logo, used since 2010, incorporates symbols and imagery of Canada and rugby league football. The CRL designed the logo to be "unique compared to other Canadian sports logos, yet instantly recognisable to the League community". The CRL gives this description of the logo: "Blended with the core rugby league imagery of the ball and twin vee, the CRL logo has been designed to incorporate some very Canadian imagery including an outline of the entire country, and naturally the maple leaf. The colours of red, black and white are also synonymous with the country, and will be prominent on the Canadian national team."
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