Rugby League played in the Richards Bay

HISTORY was made in Zululand on Saturday when the first Rugby League game was played between a Richards Bay side and the Gauteng Nomads.

In what will become an annual competition for the ‘Battle of the Bay’ trophy, the local side unexpectedly triumphed 34-18 in front of a crowd of well over 300 who attended the friendly fund-raiser and were kept well entertained.

The floodlit game was arranged and attended by SA Rugby League President Dave van Reenen, who deemed the exercise ‘a great success where good friendships were made’.

However, there is no intention of establishing Rugby League in Zululand.

For the uninitiated, ‘normal’ 15-man rugby as played in South Africa is referred to as Rugby Union, while Rugby League comprises 13 players and while there are similarities, there are significant differences.

Both codes score by means of tries, conversions, penalty goals and drop goals, but in League these score 4, 2, 2 and 1 point respectively.

Whereas Union allows for the ball to be contested on the ground, in League play stops once the arm carrying the ball hits the ground.

All restarts are with scrums or ‘play the ball’ restarts, with the side in possession allowed to be tackled six times before handing over possession.

League, which is in many respect similar to ‘Sevens’, is considered much faster, with fewer laws and stoppages and the ball in play for longer, while Union is more tactical.

While Rugby League is for many the preferred code in countries such as Australia and the UK, it has never taken off in this country.