Western Australia Rugby League

The Western Australia Rugby League (WARL) is responsible for administering the game of rugby league in Western Australia. The WARL was formed in 1948 with Fremantle, Perth, South Perth and Cottesloe as the foundation clubs. The League will also have a team in the Jim Beam Cup in 2008 known as the WA Reds.

Governance

The WARL is the state governing body and headed by a board of five directors the Western Australian Rugby League has an Operations Manager and nine staff working full time to ensure the strong development and survival of Rugby League in the future of Western Australia.

History

During the 58 years the Western Australian Rugby League has been established Rugby league in the state has experienced many highs and several low points.

Western/Perth Reds

The successful staging of New South Wales Rugby League premiership matches in the late 1980s and early 1990s led to a push for a Perth-based entry into the Australian Rugby League competition. In 1992 the Western Reds club was accepted into the national competition and would play its first season in 1995. The Reds would play in 1996 and in the Australian Super League in 1997 under the Perth Reds moniker.

Debt and issues surrounding the Super League war and formation of the National Rugby League led to the club being wound-up at the end of the 1997 season.

Jim Beam Cup entry

On 12 December 2006 the Australian Rugby League board accepted a proposal to establish a Western Australia Rugby League representative side to play in the NSWRL Jim Beam Cup for season 2008, this side will be known as the WA Reds and will play home matches at Members Equity Stadium.

The entry of this side is viewed as a longer term strategy for a Western Australian-based National Rugby League (NRL) franchise to be established in 2011 - 2012. [ [http://www.warugbyleague.com.au/content/wateam1/] WA Wins Bid for National Team: The Journey to the NRL Begins, "WA Rugby League", Retrieved on 15 December 2006]

tate Representative Team

The WARL also forms a state team to compete in the Affiliated States Championship each year. Western Australia is considered to have the strongest state team of the three non-RL states in mainland Australia and have won most of the Affiliated States Championships.

Competitions

Perth Rugby League

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.warugbyleague.com.au/ Official website of Western Australia Rugby League]
* [http://www.playrugbyleague.com.au/wa/ Rugby League clubs in Western Australia]