Men's International Ranking 2013-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 but there were no matches played in December anyway. Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success. 

The colour coding is based on regions. The Pacific region does best, which is to be expected. It should be even higher but as most matches are played within regions, it creates a slight distortion depending on how strong that region is.  

The recent Men's Asian Championship doesn't seem to have been accepted as official international matches. I think they should but it depends on whether the IRL feels their criteria have been met. The results were not included on their website for international matches played either. Singapore won it and they aren't even on the list!

Wheelchair International Ranking 2022-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 but there were no matches played in December anyway. Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success.

The colour coding is based on regions. Europe is where the strength lies, which is unusual for RL as the Pacific is where the code does best otherwise. They were just slower to get involved and while Australia is trying to remedy that, it isn't easy when the best are playing elsewhere.

Women's International Ranking 2017-2025

I believe these figures are up to November 2025 in which case one match isn't included, the Netherlands v Greece. That would change things slightly. I will update the list if required. 

Rankings are a guide to where countries are at. Things like how many games are played makes a difference too, not just success. 

The colour coding is based on regions. The Pacific region does best, which is to be expected. It should be even higher but as most matches are played within regions, it creates a slight distortion depending on how strong that region is.  

Women's Internationals 2025

The women's RL internationals as shown below are for friendly games and a world series competition. The Pacific Championship is not included below but can be seen by clicking here or using the Women's RL label to the right.

The two top sides in Europe - England and France - didn't meet, which I find strange. Overall though, it's good to see activity in this area of the game. 

Men's Internationals 2025

This list does not include several competitions that were held during the year. It covers friendly matches and a couple of World Cup qualifiers. Northern hemisphere nations are the main ones involved. A friendly match between the USA and Jamaica scheduled for early December was cancelled due to storm damage in Jamaica. 

Photo credit: IRL - Wales v Ireland. Click here to visit the site.

A full match coverage of the France v Jamaica is below. The commentary is in French.

International Test Match Comparison : Kangaroos vs Wallabies

How many international test matches were played by the two of the three oval ball codes in Australia? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the Wallabies will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it below. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower.

The increase in international RU matches must surely have reached a peak. Covid did knock it back in 2020. Back in the 1960's, the nearest neighbour NZ didn't want to play the Wallabies because they were of mediocre standard. 

As for the Kangaroo RL side, it's had a constancy. They actually played more tests in the 60's than RU but how that has changed. RL is a sport based around pro clubs with a little time begrudgingly allowed for test matches. 

Winning has been something the Kangaroos always did better than their RU counterparts. It's a more popular sport and has always been professional and that enticed RU players across to the light side. Going pro in the mid 90's encouraged one Wallabies player to proclaim RL would be dead in a short time.

The reality is RL in Australia has strengthened while RU has faltered. The win rate of the Wallabies reflects that from its peak in the 1990's to less than 40% so far this decade. Admittedly, the 2020's is a short period to draw conclusions on but the 2025 win rate was 33%, so yet another poor season for the side in yellow. 

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: England, France, New Zealand.

International Test Match Comparison : England RU vs England/GB RL

How many international test matches were played by the two oval ball codes in England? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the RU team will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower. 

One issue is that there have also been GB sides as well. England still played matches each year despite there being GB Lions tours. In addition, the other nations contributing players have done so in large numbers. So the GB RU team is not very English and therefore not counted below.  

In RL, it is different. GB played instead of England and the GB side was overwhelmingly made up of players from England. More recently, GB has been phased out and England is playing as a nation. For those reasons, GB results are counted with England ones below. 

All games against another nation are counted, even if a few may not have been given test match status. Maybe they all were. The noticeable trend with all RU / RL international match comparisons is how RU has pushed them as time has passed but RL hasn't. Greater emphasis on club competitions in RL is the reason. GB/England played more international games in the 1960's and 70's but by the 2020's it is massively favouring RU and the gap is still widening.

Union is red, league blue.

When looking at win rates, overall there isn't much in it. RU had a very poor two decades to start with but then little difference between them until the latest period. The RL percentage is based on how often they play Australia and to a lesser extent the Kiwis. That has lifted England's success rate in recent times but with the Kangaroos touring in 2025, that figure dropped but still the best yet.  

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, France, New Zealand.

International Test Match Comparison : All Blacks vs Kiwis

How many international test matches were played by the two oval ball codes in NZ? Rugby Union puts much greater emphasis on internationals so obviously the AB's will have played more. Looking at the data going back to the 1960's in decade blocks is how I did it below. The 2020's are for six years so that number is lower as it is half of the other periods.

In the 1960's there was virtually no difference. From there, the RU side grew quickly while the RL side of things was very even. By the 2010's, it was favouring the AB's by over 5 to 1. The data surprised me in the early stages as I didn't think it would be that close. The later years were more of what I expected throughout. I didn't realise how much RU had escalated its test programme. 

As an aside, I decided to also consider success rates. The AB's have a huge reputation here. They play many tests against the Australian Wallabies and the Kiwis also play the Australian Kangaroos often. NZ's strength is RU and Australia's RL so the black columns below were always going to be ahead of the red ones. 

Summary: The All Blacks have increased their international calendar with the Kiwis have maintained an even flow until recently. Not surprising with so much emphasis on club RL, which doesn't easily allow for an expanded international programme in RL. That and indifference toward tests on the part of Australian RL officials. 

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, England, France.

International Test Match Comparison : France RU vs France RL

Rugby league only arrived in France in 1934 but within a few years, it was considered a top nation internationally. It was shamefully banned by the pro-Nazi Vichy government with all assets confiscated. No recompense was paid but RL in France was again prospering in the 1950's anyway. 

Rugby Union arrived in France around the 1870's. It was supposed to be amateur but in due course, the French RU flouted that which led to there being standoffs between them and other nations, international competition suffering. In the 1950's tensions gradually eased and more matches for the Tricolores eventuated.

In the 1960's both codes were playing a similar number of internationals but the French RL was now suffering through internal strife. That meant that the XIII code was losing ground to RU. As RU pursued more internationals, mainly through a consistent Five Nations Championship, RL largely neglected the international scene apart from World Cups.

Six years into the 2020's the contrast in the number of internationals played has become stark. Northern Hemisphere RL needs to get its international act together. France struggles to compete against England and other NH nations are some way below France. Public interest is low for one sided test matches. That means there is no business case for international matches for a sport already cash strapped.  

Union is blue, League is red. Remember, the 2020's cover six years only.

Win percentages are somewhat closer than the number of matches played. The RU side of things is fairly consistent apart from a good start to the 2020's. 

As for Rugby XIII, the decline of the game as a whole in France (from the 1960's) is mirrored in the decline in success. The arrival of the Catalan Dragons as a club in 2000 and its entry into the Super League in 2006 seem to have helped the success rate. Also, top RL nations not playing France is also helping their win rate. More now needs to be done to lift the game in France further.

Others in the series are as follows. Simply click on the country name to go there: Australia, England, New Zealand.

Inaugural Asian Championship : 2025

While this is a new championship, there were one off championship games between the Philippines and Thailand in 2012 and 2013. The Philippines won both, 86-0 and 44-10. That was the end of that until 2025 when four nations competed in the Philippines. 

This new competition included Hong Kong, Japan, the Philippines and Singapore. The first round winners went into the final, while the two losing teams played the 3rd / 4th place game. The two best sides may not make the final but keeping the tournament to three days meant that compromise was necessary.

In this instance, it was likely the two best sides did qualify for the final, going by the scorelines. As it turned out, Japan narrowly defeated Hong Kong 34-30 and Singapore overwhelmed the hosts Philippines 62-0 after leading 44-0 at the break. 

It is hoped that Malaysia and Thailand will join for the next edition. It's a nice addition to the RL international scene which has over the years been badly neglected. 

RL World Cup 2026 Wheelchair Groups

This will be the 5th wheelchair WC, going back to 2008. England and France have won two each. It's not like Australia not to be leading in the sport and they are working overtime playing catch up. They will be serious challengers for the trophy this time.

The semi finalists from the last tournament were automatic qualifiers. One each from the hemispheres (NZ and the USA) were then invited. Finally, two were selected from Europe based on matches played since the last tournament (Ireland and Scotland).

This is the only part of international RL that the Northern Hemisphere leads in terms of numbers playing and the standard it's played at.

For the men's coverage,simply click here. 

For the women's coverage,simply click here.

RL World Cup 2026 Women's Groups

This will be the 7th Women's WC to be held, the original going back to 2000. NZ won the fisrt three and Australia the next three. Ten sides competed last time and the hope was to expand that number, but it has been reduced to eight. 

The two groups are to the right. Even with the reduced number, there will be blow out scores. The quickly improving Southern Hemisphere standard will ensure that. 

Four qualifiers came through the previous tournament placings. Two each from qualifying in their respective hemispheres. I recall Brazil and Canada were two women's sides that performed well last time.

For the men's coverage, simply click here.

For the wheelchair coverage, simply click here.

RL World Cup 2026 Men's Groups

This will be the 17th men's tournament, going back to 1954. The 2025 WC was to be held in France, with 16 men's teams, plus women and wheelchair tournaments included. France pulled out of the hosting role so it was moved to the Southern Hemisphere. The date was moved back to 2026 and the number of men's teams was reduced to 10.

There are three groups as seen to the right. So that all teams play three group games, Groups B and C play a side from the other group. 

England-France, Lebanon-PNG and Samoa-Tonga are the swap over matches. Then on to the semi finals and grand final.

The last competition featured 16 teams but it was decided to go with 10 as it will enhance the financial return and reduce blow out scores. The ten were decided by the top two group finishes in the previous WC (eight), with a Northern and Southern Hemisphere qualifier through an elimination process.

For the women's coverage, simply click here.

For the wheelchair coverage, simply click here.

Women's Pacific Championship : 2025

Using the same format as the men's competition, it was divided into a Cup and Bowl. Australia, NZ and Samoa were the Cup competitors. The Cook Is, Tonga and Fiji the Bowl teams.

Cup: NZ was pushed hard in the opener, scraping home 22-18 against Samoa. Australia then easily defeated Samoa 60-0, a bizarre sin binning against Samoa thankfully not affecting the outcome. NZ then went close to an upset, falling short 4-10 to Australia. 

The final was expected to go Australia's way and it did. Two sin binning calls handed out to NZ, helping the Australian cause. The NZ side tried but as not up to the task.

Bowl: I had no idea who would win this. The Cook Is team was the surprise package, winning both its games to win the competition. This meant the third game was the decider as to who would come second and third. Tonga won that 42-6. 

The Cup final highlights are below.

Men's Pacific Championship : 2025

The 2025 series was without Australia because they were touring England. Instead, the Cup had NZ, Tonga and Samoa. PNG, Fiji and the Cook Is made up the Bowl competition.

Cup: The first match was a close encounter with the Kiwis scraping home against a fired up Samoa. Then both of those teams had comfortable wins over a disappointing Tonga, their coach saying they played well below their potential. 

The final was expected to be close and in the frist half it was just that. However, the Kiwis took control in the second half and ran away with the match. The highlights are below.

Bowl: There is no final for this tournament, the winner decided over three rounds. Fiji got a good win over the Cook Is and then PNG did likewise despite the Cook Is team performing much better. The third game was effectively a final between the two unbeaten sides. PNG was far too strong, even allowing for Fiji missing a couple of experienced players. 

There won't be a 2026 competition due to the World Cup being held. 

Ashes Tour : 2025

The term 'Ashes' comes from the game of Cricket and was carried over to Rugby League. There has to be at least three matches for the term to be used. In typical RL fashion, the Ashes series has been a bit haphazard. It's been over twenty years since the last series was held. 

The first Ashes Tour was in 1908/09, which England won 2-1. The series had been won 20 to 19 in Australia's favour going into this series. England dominated the earlier part of its being contested, then Australia returned the favour in more recent times. 

On to 2025, where Australia never dominated but was able to do enough to win. The scorelines may suggest otherwise but England fought hard and made the tourists work for their 3-0 series whitewash.

England could have even won the series but for one telling reason. Failing to turn effort and field position into points. Averaging six points per match is never going to win you anything. Huffing and puffing only gets you so far. 

Australia will accept they weren't at their best in the series but they had a stoic defence and enough attacking skill to do the business. The last score on particular of 30-8 was flattering to the winner, yet it summed up the series succinctly. 

I'm not into bagging coaches but I will make an exception here. England's Shaun Wane is full of passion but he is deficient in decision making. Surely his tenure is over and England will be the better for his departure. I don't particularly rate the Australian coach either but the players are good enough to do the business anyway. England were not good enough to do the same. 

Highlights of the third match is below. 

Wheelchair RL Internationals : 2025

It's been a relatively quiet calendar for wheelchair RL this year. Six fixtures that I am aware of. Let me know if I've missed any. The Celtic nations provided four of them and a tour by England to Australia being the other two.

The Celtic Cup was won by Ireland, Wales was second and Scotland third. I expected Wales to take this one but Ireland were clearly the best side. Scotland and Ireland then played a friendly later in the year.

Australia were late to get into the wheelchair version of the game and has been well beaten in the past. A top player from England has been coaching Down Under added to a determination to catch up, the series looked promising.

The video above shows highlights of the first test. England rallied late to run away with it but there was a big improvement shown there by the hosts. The second international looked like being an upset to Australia but a late rally and England just got home. 

I'm surprised there wasn't a game between the two heavyweights of this form of the game, England and France. Hopefully that will be addressed in 2026.

European Championships 2025 – Groups B C D

While Group A doesn't seem to be operating, the three levels below are. I assume the top side moves up a division and the bottom side goes down although I don't know where the winner of Group B would go (explanation later in the article). 

So how have the matches gone? With some heritage players allowed, it can create upset results depending on the quality and quantity available. 

Group B: I had no idea who would win this. Serbia were the hot favourites to win the group and they delivered. The Netherlands are progressing well but Malta may have regressed in recent years. The photo above is of the Netherlands v Malta. Photo Source: https://europeanrugbyleague.com/

Group C: I would have picked Ukraine as coming third, yet they have won it convincingly. My expected winner Greece came in second and Italy third.

Group D: I thought it would be between Norway and Germany and so it proved. Germany won the decider 32-18. Czechia was well off the pace but good to see them competing as best they could.

So what is it with Group A? England is far ahead of the others and therefore doesn't support it. England did have a series with Australia this year but they could send a B team but that it rarely does. 

France would be the next ranked side and they had a World Cup decider to concentrate on. Wales and Ireland would be the other two sides and they have just played a friendly international. Group A needs to be an annual event, with England taking it seriously.

SL 2026 = 14

So it will be fourteen teams in Super League for the 2026 season. No loop fixtures, that is, some teams playing repeatedly in order to provide a sufficient number of rounds to satisfy the TV broadcaster. 

The two that made it were Toulouse Olympique and York Knights. The only other club that seemed to have a chance was the London Broncos but they haven't proved that they are ready. Others like Oldham were not going to succeed at this point in time.

The other factor is the scoring system, and on that basis, the decision ultimately wasn't a difficult one. 

For the three that made it, a point of note. Central funding will not increase, so there is the same amount of money with two additional clubs, something had to give. With the Bradford Bulls getting the nod first, it replaces the departed Salford and receives full funding. The other two newly promoted sides get half funding. 

The incumbent clubs will presumably get slightly less funding than before to accommodate the expanded competition. York and Toulouse will have to compete while receiving much less than the others. Promotion is tough enough as it is without that handicap. 

Toulouse will also have to pay travel costs for the UK based teams. Each club could pay for two trips a year to France (including Catalan), but no. They have to pay for all the clubs coming over. With Toulouse already getting half the funding, that's making it doubly hard to try and compete. A French TV deal would help but it wouldn't be much help. They will have to smart in how they spend.

It is now decided. Fourteen clubs. The new teams will surely have some recruited players signed, subject to SL entry. London will be using 2026 to establish themselves as a successful and popular club in the city and they will want ot be there in 2027. Will there be sixteen in 2027? Probably not, but if a TV deal was improved due to that happening, then who knows?

Pictures: York Knights & Bradford Bulls. (I couldn't find one for TO).

The Bulls Are Back!

UK's Super League is moving from 12 to 14 teams in 2026, by all accounts. With the demotion of Salford Red Devils, a third vacancy came up. Toulouse Olympique and York Knights are the obvious teams to gain promotion as they contested the Championship (division 2) grand final. 

So three slots in all up for grabs with no shortage of clubs putting their hands up to be one of those entering the 'promised land' of Super League.

There is a grading system to decide who qualifies and while on field performance is included in that, there are many off field criteria that are also important. 

To the right is a chart showing the top 12 clubs. On that basis, the Bradford Bulls have been granted the replacement slot created by Salford's relegation. This has created a stir among some RL fans that the Bradford Bulls have no business being rated that highly. 

I'm not going into that conspiracy theory. What the club does bring is a strong RL culture in the city, good crowds both home and away plus they are at this point doing well financially.

The downside is their antiquated stadium and for some, their historically poor financial performance. Whatever, they are in.

So what about the other two if indeed the competition goes to 14? To the left, are the next 12 clubs with their rankings. That would mean that Toulouse and York are the clubs joining the Bulls. I hope there are 14 teams and I hope they are the two.

Are there any unlucky sides if the above becomes reality? The London Broncos have new ownership and are determined to go places. Their history isn't good and London is a tough nut to crack. I think a year in the expanded Championship would do them good in the long term. 

So congratulations to the Bradford Bulls. I think you are lucky to get this break so I hope you don't blow it. Good luck to Toulouse and York who IMO deserve to join them. London, if you miss out, use 2026 to establish youself in the capital and prove that there is an appetite for top flight RL down there. 

Super League Men's Finals Series : 2025

The grand final highlights are above. 

Going into the finals series, it was hard to see past a Wigan Warriors v Hull KR final. KR had won the league with the Warriors second. KR also won the Challenge Cup but in this case Wigan was nowhere near the final. Still the Warriors were my favourites to win the final with match winning players in Field and French.

Of course, in knock out games anything can happen. A team just needs to have a bad day and it's all over rover. So lets see  how it panned out.

Quarter finals: Two sides sat this round out, the reward for being one of the top two in the league. The Leigh Leopards defeated a galant Wakefield Trinity 26-10. In the other match the Leeds Rhinos lost a tight one, 14-16 to St Helens RLFC. 

Semi finals: Wigan returned to defeat Leigh 18-6 and Hull KR also won, 20-12 over Saints. Neither winner was that convincing, with KR getting some calls in their favour. The two best teams in the league progressed to the big one.

Grand Final: The same two sides from last year met when Wigan were the victors 9-2. The 2025 gf was again held at  Old Trafford football ground. In the 2025 edition, Hull KR made some early mistakes which Wigan didn't capitalise on. Then KR took its chances to lead 10-2 at the break.

In the second half, the Warriors tried to come back but the mistakes continued and KR was able to pull away to win the game 24-6. Opposite to the song, Wigan saved the worst to last. KR were more composed and deserved not only winning the grand final but also the treble. 

NSW Cup League & Finals : 2025

The first article on this competition - one below the NRL - and while it's called the NSW Cup, it includes Canberra, Victoria and New Zealand. Melbourne (Victoria) aren't fielding a side in it and rarely have. 

I looked into the history of the competition to do a piece on that but decided against doing so. It doesn't have the consistency of participants, so trying to establish historical success would have little meaning.

As for the 2025 season, the NZ Warriors easily won the league with an eleven point margin over the second placed St George. Second to tenth was tight with only a six point spread covering them.  

The chart below shows where the clubs finished in 2024 with St George and Parramatta in particular improving their rankings. North Sydney was the big loser. Blue shows the five sides that progressed to the playoffs, which are discussed below. 

First round: There were three teams from Sydney and two from elsewhere. The NZ Warriors had a bye while the second to fifth teams did battle. Two close games saw winners St George and Canberra progress, along with Parramatta whose third league placing gave them another life.  

Second Round: The Warriors joined for this round and were upset by St George 10-24. In the other match, Parramatta narrowly got past Canberra 36-30. St George went directly to the grand final.

Third Round: The NZ Warriors picked themselves up after the last round defeat to breeze past the Eels 42-12. They now had to do what they failed to do the week before if they wanted to add to their winning the league with a grand final victory as well.

Grand final: The Warriors got their revenge with a sound 30-12 result. They were the best side through the season and thoroughly deserved the double. 

The grand final highlights are below. The commentator's voice is interesting to say the least. 

State Championship Winners : 2014-2025

I haven't taken any notice of the NSW Cup and I didn't know the NSW and Queensland champions played off to find the top side that is below the NRL competition. I decided to educate myself. 

Many of the NSW teams in particular are part of an NRL club. In contrast, Queensland has independant clubs. Either way, most are associated with NRL sides.  

I decided to check out the history of the interstate match up, expecting Queensland teams to dominate. I had this idea the Queensland Cup is a stronger competition. If that is so, it is not reflected in the results. Of the ten years it has been held, the first two winners were clubs north of the border. Since then one narrow win in 2024. Otherwise, NSW based teams have proved victorious.

The 2025 match highlights can be seen in the video above. 

UK Championship (Division 2) Finals: 2025

Six sides took part in the finals series of the Championship, the European second division. Winning the grand final or even just making it there should help press claims for Super League status in 2025. Grand final highlights are in the video above.

First round: The top sides from the league had a week off so three to six did battle. The Halifax Panthers were too good for Oldham but well done to Oldham as a newly promoted side getting this far. In the other fixture, Bradford overcame Featherstone 28-8. 

Semi finals: York hosted Halifax and booked their place in the grand final with a solid 30-18 victory. Bradfoed went to France and did very well to lose narrowly 20-24. The top two league teams showed their class in progressing through.

Grand final: York had home advantage but there was little between the sides through the season and that is how the final panned out. York scored two unconverted tries and Toulouse kicked five penalties to edge it 10-8. Poor discipline by York hurt them, as did missed conversions. Both will now hope to be promoted to Super League next season. 

UK SL/Championship (Women) Finals : 2025

This covers both finals series for women's RL in the UK. First up, the elite Super League playoffs, then the second division (Northern Championship) finals.

Super League: The top four from the league went on to press for grand final success. Wigan had already won the cup and league so were looking to do the treble. It was hard to see who could stop them. In 2024, York won the grand final against St Helens. 

Semi finals: Wigan took on Leeds, a club which hadn't won anything since its 2022 grand final victory. The wait goes on when it was easily beaten 0-38 by the Warriors. In the other semi, St Helens battled to a narrow 12-8 win over the holders York Valkyrie. 

Grand Final: 5,000 attended the match, a record for the event. Wigan went in hot favourites but were soon trailing, with Saints players desperately not wishing to take home another runners up medals. Then Wigan took control and despite a late try from Saints, got home 16-12. 

Northern Championship: The London Broncos were promoted to this division and amazingly went through the league season undefeated. Meanwhile, Featherstone Rovers had been demoted from Super League and had lost just one match. 

Semi finals: London maintained their unbeaten run in getting past Salford 22-10 and Featherstone overcame another newly promoted side the Cardiff Demons 20-14. The top two clubs from the league were to meet in the final.

Grand Final: Played in London, the locals took an early lead 10-0 but it was whittled down to 10-8 by the break. Feathestone then went on to overtake London and gain immediate promotion back to Super League.

NRLW Women's Finals Series : 2025

Six teams made it to the finals series. Three from Queensland and three from NSW (two from Sydney). Two sides were likely to stand out. The Brisbane Broncos are the most successful club historically and the Sydney Roosters. who have been the best in recent times, The latter were the 2024 grand final winning club. 

First round: Newcastle were expected to defeat the Gold Coast and delivered on that expectation. Cronulla vs North Queensland was slightly harder to pick, although I had Cronulla as my choice. In a tight affair, the Sharks prevailed 24-18. 

Second round: The two rested sides returned to the action. The Roosters struggled to overcome the Sharks but in the end sqeaked home 17-16. In contrast, the Broncoes were in fine form in powering past the Knights 30-6. The Broncos certainly looked the form side going into the grand final.

Grand final: Brisbane got ahead early but the Roosters didn't go through the whole season undefeated by fluke and came back to lead with minutes to go. A late try was awarded to the Broncos that secured the title they last won in 2019. 

I wasn't sure with that last try that the ball was grounded, but if it was, it was a prominent blade of grass that did the honours. Either way, it was awarded and that's all that matters. Tight games are often decided by fine margins.

NRL Men's Finals Series : 2025

The top eight were decided and off they all went in pursuit of the grand final trophy. Four clubs from Sydney and one each from Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and New Zealand.

First round: League winners Canberra got run down in spectacular fashion by Brisbane and Cronulla shut out the in form Sydney Roosters. The NZ Warriors came into the finals in less than ideal form and the inform Penrith Panthers in the end ran away with the match. Finally, Melbourne were just too experienced for the plucky Canterbury Bulldogs side. 

Second round: With two teams having a week off, Canberra tried to get redemption for last week's heatbreak but were outplayed by a very solid Cronulla Sharks. I the other encounter, Penrith's experience in finals paid off in a comfortable win over the Bulldogs. 

Third Round: One game away from a grand final berth. Melbourne got home against a plucky Cronulla while Brisbane enjoyed another nail biting victory over the last four grand final victors Penrith. Is the dynasty over for the losing Panthers? 

Grand Final: Melboune won its last grand final in 2020 and Brisbane in 2006 so for the latter a long time between drinks of the celebratory sort. Melbourne was ahead for much of the game but Brisbane have been reveling in arm wrestles and wouldn't go away. In the end, they won yet another tight one 22-18. 

Queensland Cup Finals : 2025 (Plus Last Five Years Ranked)

The finals were surprisingly close in terms of scorelines. The semi finals were an excellent example of that with both decided by just two points and ironically identical scores too. 

The two clubs that came top of the league also made the grand final. Burleigh again prevailed over the Norths Devils 'Bridesmaids'. So well done Burleigh and commiserations to Norths.  

I have included below a bonus previous five year summary of the competition. The top sides for 2025 are found at the top here too, with the positions switched in favour of the Norths Devils. The Western Clydesdales have only been part of it for the past three years.

Super League Attendances : 2025

Super League is in some ways struggling as future media deals to maintain the competition's financial situation are uncertain. Clubs are dependent on owners to balance the books which is not uncommon in sports generally. Hopefully, SL clubs can continue to rely on such benefactors.  

Crowd support is an important part of a club's earnings so how are the numbers in 2025 compared with 2024? They are up 8.4% which is impressive although it does come with some provisos, which will be mentioned as we go along.

Winners: Wigan is top of the list with a 19,300 average, up 29.3%. They did get a boost playing a game in  Las Vegas but even without that, they have done really well. Hull FC is much improved in terms of performance and the supporters are responding with the attendance average up 10.8%. 

Wakefield returned to the top flight and they also have a nicely refurbished stadium. These two factors have pushed spectator numbers up 41.6% compared to their crowd numbers in the Championship (division 2). The fact that they replaced London means the increase against that club is 150.5% which does add an unavoidable distortion in 2025. 

Losers: Not the same number of candidates. In terms of attendees, Castleford is the disappointment. Their on field performances are at their usual not too successful standards. Has near neighbour Wakefield's improved situation left them feeling neglected? 

Salford has been sailing close to the wind financially and without a well heeled backer to rely upon things came to a head in 2025. Unable to play their strongest roster due to restrictions and gradually offloading good players they should never had signed in the first place has affected performances. 

Yet the fans have been remarkably loyal, but the club stopped reporting attendances during the season. I had to estimate and gave them 4,000 per game not reported for a 11.6% drop. Hopefully this sorry state can be sorted but they won't be in SL next year. 

Ceiling dwellers: Hull KR (stadium capacity) and Leigh (population size) have plateaued. I wonder what it would do for KR's average if there was more capacity. I'm thinking the stadium is OK for most games, with more popular opponents the only times when more seats would be useful. Leigh has a 12,000 stadium so they could technically increase their 8,800 average but that will be a big ask.

Newbies: Next year there will be between one to three new clubs in SL, depending on expansion going ahead. The Bradford Bulls used to exceed 10,000 in the Bullmania era but to do that now is unlikely. Other contenders such as Toulouse, York and London will definitiely not do that number so the 2025 average may be the best for some time to come. 

Queensland Cup Regular Season : 2025

The regular season consists of fifteen teams vying to win the league, or failing that, make the top eight for a play offs berth. The Gold Coast's Burleigh Bears won the league title, from the Brisbane based Norths Devils. The Western Clydesdales from Toowoomba came up the rear, although they did come first equal in the most draws column. I jest of course and I hope 2026 has more success for them. 

I don't follow the competition on a weekly basis but looking at the points differential, the matches appear to be quite close, not something the modern game produces with momentum rewarded as it is. The exception is the Clydesdales, who were well down in that department.

The eight finalists will be covered in a future article. 

UK League 1 Season : 2025

This will be the last report under the League One label as the division closes. Its first year was 2003 and the last 2025. It merges with the Championship division two. Some clubs will have to lift their level of performance. 

Over the season Cornwall pulled out early on and the results of the games they did play were expunged from the record. Sad but these things happen. The new club to this level was the Goole Vikings and they acquitted themselves well. 

Congratutaions to North Wales Crusaders for taking the league title. The playoff matches to decide who would get promoted were cancelled as they all get promoted anyway if they choose to join the expanded Championship.

UK Championship Regular Season : 2025 (Men's)

This is the division two of the game in the UK that includes a side based in France. After the regiular season was completed, the league table is as seen below. 

Three teams stood out for me and they took the top three spots. They are very keen to make the elite Super League. The play offs will assist in sorting that out but if only it was that simple. 

SL is most likely to go to fourteen teams and one of the current twelve sides making up that division won't be there. If that is how it all goes, three of these clubs will bein SL next year. So the three I mentioned earlier are the likely three? 

That's the complicated bit. Clubs have to meet varoius criteria to be acceoted and it isn't just about on field performance. London finished back in tenth place but they are to become a very different club in 2026 with new ownership. So the playoffs will help clubs trying to make SL and that will be reported on soon. 

The other issue is that no club will be relegated from the Championship as usually happens. That's because division three (League One) will amalgamate with the championship in 2026. Hopefully that won't create a lopsided competition. 2026 won't be dull in UK RL but then again it never is. 

SL Regular Season : 2025

The video is the last round game between Hull KR and Warrington Wolves. Don't be startled by the noisy music for the first few seconds. You may want to read the text below before viewing.

The 2025 regular season has finished. Twelve teams played 27 matches and some played each other three times to complete 27 rounds. Ludicrous. So how did they go? Here we go from bottom to top with a brief opinion for each club. In the chart, blue means finals football.

Salford Red Devils: The club payed the price for living beyond their means and had to sell most of their side this season as a result. Short notice loan players were at times used, meeting the regulars on the bus going to the game. Yet the players showed loads of spirit and the fans rallied behind them. 

Castleford Tigers: It really looked a very ordinary team and sacking the manager during the season was never going to be the solution. Last made the finals in 2019.

Huddersfield Giants: Not much better than Cas' so another side that needs to recruit well if either can afford that. 

Catalan Dragons: A second consecutive season with finals football. The coach was sacked as results went against them but that didn't help. Definitely should have done better with the players at their disposal.

Warrington Wolves: Made the cup final as their form was good early on but they fell away badly at the backend of the season. A team with potential but there is something wrong with the culture.

Hull FC: The club's best result since 2020 but still very much a work in progress. There was hope of a finals berth but ultimately fell short.

St Helens: This is such a successful club that the past two seasons have felt like failures to the fans. Calls for the coach to go have gone unheeded, but for how much longer? Can there be some redemption in the finals? 

Leeds Rhinos: After missing the finals in the last two campaigns, they are back. An improved side in 2025, but there is some work to be done if they want to go forward from here. 

Leigh Centurions: Their fans must be pinching themselves to make sure they are not dreaming. The points differential would suggest they are overachieving but what do they care? A third consecutive year in the finals shows the character the team has. 

Wigan Warriors: Started really slowly and got knocked out of the cup early. They have since played catch up and nearly won the league. With a full complement of players, they are the best side. 

Hull KR: They won the cup and now the league, only the grand final to go to make it a clean sweep. Their form has dipped toward the end of a tiring season. They will need to show a bit more zest if they are to take the treble. 

Summary: There could be fourteen teams next year and Salford has not applied to be one of them. The composition of the clubs involved in Super League is therefore still up in the air. Clubs have to earn a place through meeting both on and off the field requirements.

UK Championship (Women) Regular Season : 2025

The second division (the Northern Championship) in the women's game increased from nine to eleven teams for 2025. All but two of the clubs competing are from the north of England. The teams played each other once. Oulton was deducted a point for failing to fulfill a fixture. 

London and Cardiff were promoted from the Southern Championship and both sides acquitted themselves well, coming in first and third. As a result, they both make the two round playoffs and could end up in the grand final together. 

The finals will be covered in a future post. 

PS. The Southern Championship had five sides playing four fixtures each. This was won by the Army with Bristol second. The Midlands Championship had six clubs playing ten matches each with Telford prevailing. 

SLW Regular Season : 2025

The eighth regular season of women's rugby league has been completed. Eight sides battled it out and a resurgent Wigan pipped St Helens for the title. Saints win their first league title in 2024 but could not quite repeat that success.

The problem is having the best players gravitate to just four sides. The clubs in blue below progressed to the finals series and their points differential is it stark contrast to the sides that failed to make the cut. Warrington withdrew from the competition for the last two fixtures. Two points and 48-0 scores were credited to the sides that would have played them.

The women's game needs a rethink regarding the lopsided standard between the haves and have nots. More depth in player quality will come but in the meantime too many matches are massacres. It can't be easy for players in those fixtures. Their only reprieve comes when meeting sides of similar quality. The better players need more fixtures that test them. 

The video above is Wigan v Saints. 

NRLW Regular Season : 2025

The season kicked off with twelve teams, up two on 2024. The Canterbury Bulldogs from Sydney and the NZ Warriors from Auckland. Could the new sides hit the ground running? Would there be any surprises in the final ranking?

The final table below shows there wasn't much change from the previous season. In 2024 there were four finalists and they all returned to the finals again. The difference in 2025 was there were two more sides were included in the playoffs. 

The Canberra Raiders dropped four rankings but otherwise no side moved more than two placings. Neither of the new clubs made the finals series but they weren't the lowest placed clubs either. The NZ Warriors did extremely well in nearly getting a neutral points differential (-4) in their first season back. 

I won't critique the sides individually but a few general comments should suffice. The top two were head and shoulders above the rest and they would make a great grand final match up. The three sides at the foot of the table will be disappointed the new teams were able to finish above them. 

The finals series will be covered in three weeks when they have concluded. 

The video is highlights of the top two sides meeting in round 3.  

NRL Attendances 2025

If all the teams played home games at home, then that would keep things simple. However, double header games and Magic Round creates scenarios that can distort figures. There is no right way to get around this but I'll explain what I do.

If more than one team play at a venue, then all competing sides count the highest attendance figure. That is because an accurate breakdown by game isn't always given. The one exception I make is the Magic Round where the attendance is credited to the total but not to the individual clubs. 

Winners: The total is up 4.2% over 2024 and 25.4% when compared with 2000-2024. That's quite an improvement historically.

Brisbane continues to confound me with its ongoing increases when I've assumed for the past few years that they have reached a ceiling. The Canterbury Bulldogs have had a ripper season both on field and with crowds, the latter helped by a bumper Easter Weekend turnout.

Canberra had a stellar season in winning the league and attendances reflected the public getting behind the success. Cronulla and South Sydney were involved in a double header but through a full season, these one off gains don't hugely affect the average. They both increased their averages, the latter despite a poor season.

The Gold Coast has always been a challenging area for rugby league but 2025 attendances were good considering the poor form of the team. The NZ Warriors managed another increase despite being close to stadium capacity.

Losers: Penrith had a 'home game' in Las Vegas which was helpful. Penrith needed that badly as their home game numbers are being badly affected by having to travel to another stadium while their stadium is redeveloped. 

Manly didn't do well with crowds, although the team usually performs well at home. Parramatta, North Queensland and Newcastle didn't play well overall and some fans were put off by that. I can't blame them. 

The St George - Illawarra club is the only team that has decreased on the 2000-24 average. Its now has the lowest attendances in the league, which is sad for a club with such a proud history. 

A point with the Dolphins. They are down historically but they have only had three seasons. The first was higher than the two since, which creates a historical negative. Their home stadium is tiny so when they can play home games at the larger Suncorp Stadium, that gives the attendance a real boost. So they are affected by Suncorp availability. More seasons are required to paint a clearer picture. 

For any unfamiliar with the game, the video above will explain all. 

NRL Regular Season : 2025

The 2025 regular season has finished. Teams played 24 matches and had three byes to complete 27 rounds. So how did they go? Most teams had tough injury runs, the demands of modern sport ensure that is the case. Ignoring that, here we go from bottom to top with a brief opinion for each club.

Newcastle Knights: They lacked quality in depth, especially in the forwards. They went from a finals appearance to last in one season. The coach then left as expected. 

Gold Coast Titans: Had potential and at times looked really good but rarely played their best for a full game. Dropped two places from 2024 and another coach left.

St George-Illawarra: Could have been a wooden spoon winner but scraped enough wins together to avoid that ignominy.

South Sydney Rabbitohs: Without the top players regularly participating, the team looked ordinary.

Wests Tigers: They strengthened their squad and avoided another last place but are very much a work in progress. 

North Queensland Cowboys: Fifth last year but dropped seven places in 2025. Looked good going forward but overall inconsistent.

Parramatta Eels: A solid roster and improved toward the end of the season. Not enough to make the finals but there is promise.

Dolphins: Can do the razzle-dazzle, which led to a good points difference for a side that failed to make the finals. Perhaps not enough grind.

Manly Sea Eagles: A good but not great side, they finished where they deserved to.

Sydney Roosters: Came home strongly to snatch a finals spot. In form, they are formidable.

Penrith Panthers: Second place and grand final winners last year, they languished at the foot of the table during the season. They got their act together and made the finals. That said, the team is not as strong as last year.

New Zealand Warriors: I predicted they wouldn't make the finals but did so through grit and determination. Most of the games they played were tight. Overachieved? Maybe, but proved a hard side to beat, even though they did fade toward the end of the competition.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: They quietly went about their business in an effective way. Another good season.

Brisbane Broncos: Inconsistent at the beginning of the season but toward the end very impressive. 

Canterbury Bulldogs: A surprise package and led the competition for a while but finished below their best.

Melbourne Storm: Not quite the consistent Melbourne but very still competitive and came in second. 

Canberra Raiders: They surprised everyone but the coach. They were much more consistent and that paid dividends. They simply were tough to beat. 

The finals summary will follow once the matches are completed.