National Rugby League
The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and media giant News Corporation-controlled Super League,[3] in the aftermath of the 1990s Super League war, in which both ran parallel to each other in 1997.[4] The partnership was dissolved in 2012, with control of the NRL going to the re-constituted ARL, which was re-structured with an independent board of directors and renamed the Australian Rugby League Commission.
Current season, competition or edition: 2023 NRL season | |
 | |
| Sport | Rugby league |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1998[1] |
| Inaugural season | 1998 (1908) |
| CEO | Andrew Abdo |
| Commissioner | Peter V'landys |
| No. of teams | 17[2] |
| Country |  Australia(16 teams)  New Zealand(1 team) |
| Headquarters | Rugby League Central, Sydney |
| Most recent champion(s) |  Penrith Panthers (4th title) |
| Most titles |  South Sydney Rabbitohs (21 titles) |
| TV partner(s) | Australia: Nine Network/Fox League New Zealand: Sky Sport/Prime |
| Streaming partner(s) | Kayo Sports 9Now |
| Sponsor(s) | Telstra |
| Level on pyramid | Level 1 |
| International cup(s) | World Club Challenge |
| Related competitions | Super League |
| Official website | NRL.com |
NRL matches are played in Australia and New Zealand from March to October. Each team plays 24 matches, with the highest placed team at the end of the regular season awarded the minor premiership. This is followed by a finals series contested between the eight highest placed teams from the regular season. The season culminates in the premiership-deciding NRL Grand Final, one of Australia's most popular sporting events.[5] The winners play the World Club Challenge against the champions of the Super League.[6] The reigning premiers are the Penrith Panthers, having won their fourth premiership at the end of the 2022 season.