The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Football League. Based at Sportcity in Manchester, it is responsible for organising professional competitions and, in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA), the community game. It also provides match officials for every level as well as administering the England national team The Rugby Football League has been a member of the International Rugby League (IRL) since 1948 and European Rugby League (ERL) since its foundation in 2003. History On Tuesday 27 August 1895, as a result of an emergency meeting in Manchester, prominent Lancashire rugby clubs Broughton Rangers, Leigh, Oldham, Rochdale Hornets, St Helens, Tyldesley, Warrington, Widnes and Wigan declared that they would support their Yorkshire colleagues in their proposal to form a Northern Union. Two days later, on Thursday 29 August 1895, representatives of 21 clubs met in the George Hotel, Huddersfield to form the "Northern Rugby Football Union" (usually termed Northern Union or NU). Twenty clubs agreed to resign from the Rugby Football Union, but Dewsbury felt unable to comply with the decision. The Cheshire club, Stockport, had telegraphed the meeting requesting admission to the new organisation and was duly accepted with a second Cheshire club, Runcorn, admitted at the next meeting. The 21 clubs were: Batley, Bradford FC (switched to association football in 1907 and became Bradford Park Avenue) Brighouse Rangers (Folded in 1906, now survives as an amateur club) Broughton Rangers (Folded in 1955) Halifax Huddersfield Hull FC Hunslet FC (Folded in 1973 but were resurrected as a Phoenix club) Leeds Leigh Liversedge (Folded in 1902, survive as an amateur club) Manningham (Switched to association football in 1903 and became Bradford City) Oldham Rochdale Hornets Runcorn (Folded in 1918) St Helens Stockport (Folded in 1902) Tyldesley (Disbanded in 1902) Wakefield Trinity Warrington Widnes Wigan In 1908 the Northern Union's brand of rugby was taken up in Australia and New Zealand. The Union hosted touring sides from both countries before assembling a Great Britain representative team for a 1910 tour of Australia and New Zealand. These nations, particularly Australia, would go on to excel in the sport and gain significant influence over it over the following century. The British Amateur Rugby League Association