The Student Rugby League was founded in 1967 when Andrew Cudbertson, Jack Abernathy and Cec Thompson formed a team at Leeds University. They played in the Leeds and District Sunday League and were very much frowned upon by the hierarchy of the University. Gradually, it became clear that there were other like minded students based at other Universities. Not always in the "heartt-land" of Rugby League, universities such as Liverpool, Swansea and even Portsmouth took up the game over the next ten years. At this time the League was administered by volunteers who held down full time jobs as well as organising the leagues. Dave Chambers, a school teacher from Manchester did a great deal for the game in the late Seventies and early Eighties. Together with Ron Barnes and Don Bowes they started to make the game a force within the university sector. 

In 1986 the game took a quantum leap as it went fully international and staged the first Student Rugby League World Cup in New Zealand. The hosts won the five-team competition but started one of the biggest success stories in the sport. John Yarker, who lived in Nottingham and was a Rugby League aficionado, took over as League Secretary and really began the expansion. He became and outstanding administrator and was the real architect of the modern Student Rugby League. 

The game in this country grew to around 30 universities spread across the whole of the land. In 1989 there were two significant developments. The World Cup was held in York and included eight teams with the four Home Nations plus, Australia, New Zealand, France and Holland. The Aussies defeated England in the final at Wigan and started a domination of the world game that only ended in 1999. Secondly, the Rugby Football League appointed Bev Risman and Malcolm Reid as Associate Directors of Student Rugby League. 

Their brief was to increase the supply of graduates with a leaning towards Rugby League. This they did with great style. There was a rapid increase in the number of Clubs, which has continued to the present day. Now the SRL has over 70 clubs who field almost 100 teams.

The Student World Cup has since been held in Australia, England and most recently in Europe with groups based in Paris, Cardiff, Belfast, Dublin, Glasgow and Hull. There are 12 nations playing student rugby league with more ready to come on stream. Virtually all the major universities in England and Wales have a club with plans to expand more into Scotland and Ireland over the next 12 months. 

The first World Cup in New Zealand certainly reflected the dominant rugby league playing nations of the time, and also the strength and concentration of the student game in this country with Great Britain participating instead of individual Home Nations.

World Cup 2 came to these shores in 1989. Great Britain were now split into the Home Nations, with England applying themselves most successfully to lose narrowly to Australia in the Final. This World Cup also witnessed the first appearance of Holland on the world rugby league stage.

The 1992 World Cup moved to Australia, and in addition to the continuing strength of the Australian student game, also saw the rise of the Pacific Islanders. Their senior teams were to make a big impression in the Halifax Centenary World Cup in 1995, but in 1992, Fiji, Samoa and in particular, Tonga, proved to be an instant hit.

The Halifax Student Rugby League 1996 World Cup in England again saw an increase in the number of teams taking part, but unfortunately for the home nations, still no home success. Japan entered the rugby league world stage for the first time, and the USA carried on the good work of their senior side in 1995, by not only participating, but beating the Irish. France proved to be the most successful of the European teams.

The Independent Student Rugby League World Cup 1999 was a memorable fortnight of tremendous action and excitement. Many treasured and lasting memories will have been made of the event, won impressively by New Zealand, but contributed enormously to by all who take part.

article by Neil Wood