History

Heritage Rugby League NSW (HRL) is a not-for-profit sporting association, incorporated through NSW Fair Trading as Heritage Rugby League NSW Incorporated.

  • It formed in 2022 at the direction of New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL), and affiliates to NSWRL.
  • It aims to work in alignment primarily with NSWRL. However HRL will also engage where appropriate with other Rugby League governing bodies such as other State Leagues, the National Rugby League, Asia Pacific Rugby League and the International Rugby League.
  • The aim behind its creation were to
    • promote and support games, events and tournaments.
    • create new and encouraging pathways into the sport for people from all ethnicities.
    • create clear, streamlined processes for heritage, harmony and multicultural teams to compete within NSW and Australia.
    • provide formal oversight, and a best practice sustainable governance framework.

Background

  • Diaspora and expatriate communities in NSW formed teams to play in harmony, heritage and international RL matches and tournaments in NSW and Australia for 22 years, since the inaugural season of the NRL in 1998, in senior and junior age groups.
  • They competed in events include the Harmony Cup, Redfern Nines, Cabramatta/Sydney Nines and Sydney Sevens.
  • They also competed in 13-a-side matchdays from 1998 until 2020 until the COVID-19 pandemic largely disrupted community Rugby League for two seasons.