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- Rugby league is a full contact football code and spectator sport played in various countries around the world and governed by the Rugby League International Federation. As of 2010 there are currently 27 nations fielding domestic leagues that meet the World Cup eligibility requirements. Further to this there are over 30 others that are playing at an emerging level status at varying degrees of international competition and are in the process of developing the game in their nations. The global player pool is estimated to be in the millions. Although one of the last football codes to be developed, since the 1990s professional era the game has expanded outside of its traditionals heartlands in Australia, England, France and New Zealand. As a result, many players of European, and Pacific Islander background have risen to the top professional level in the two major domestic leagues, the National Rugby League and Super League. Whilst individual international test matches between nations have been staged regularly since the sport's inception in 1908, the first multi-national tournament was held in France in 1954, making it the first World Cup of either rugby code and the first to be officially known as the "Rugby World Cup". (en)
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