Rugby league is a team sport in Russia. The Russian Association of Rugby League Clubs (ARLK) is the governing body of rugby league in Russia. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Rugby League and European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions. History A Soviet delegation attended Dewsbury's 1973 English Championship win and suggested that exhibition games be held in Eastern Europe to gauge interest. Rugby league returned in the late 1980s. Early success for Russian rugby league came in the form of one of the Locomotive Rugby Football Club's junior team of 1987 which was sent to England to compete in a series of matches. Maslov and his friend and President of the Russian Rugby Union, Edgar Taturyan, formed the RRFL. Russian Rugby Football League In May 1991, York and Fulham RLFC toured Russia. Challenge Cup history Kazan Arrows and Moscow Locomotive in December 2001 became the first Russian teams to feature in the Rugby Football League Challenge Cup. Since 2001 Russian clubs have travelled to England to take part in the tournament. Cross roads of 2005 Despite all that happened early in the year, the RRFL went ahead with its annual championship, including the youth world cup, which was thought by many not to go ahead. 2022: ban After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the International Rugby League and European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions. Competitions until 2008 Russian Championship The Russian Championship (or Russian Super League or Championship of Russia) consisted of 6 teams in the 2008 season: Locomotive – Moscow Arrows – Kazan Vereya – Moscow Region Crystal – Rostov-on-Don Kosmos – Moscow Region Legion – Kharkiv (Ukraine) Dinamo Moscow and St Petersburg Nevskaya Zastava started the season but failed to complete it. Saint Petersburg Lesteh and Volgodonsk Navy-Sphere entered the cup but did not participate in any league. Championship NFRR-13 Premier League Star – RVSN (Serpukhov) Kubinka (Moscow Region) Nizhegorodets (Nizhny Novgorod) Arsenal (Tula) RHZB (Kostroma) CSK Cosmos (Moscow region) Avtomobilist (Ryazan) Svyazist (Ryazan) VDV (Ryazan) WU-CVM (Moscow) MOSVOKU (Moscow) Vereya Bears (Moscow region) Major League Major League teams are divided into groups on a geographical basis Central Group Finance (Yaroslavl) Voronezh Tver Iskra (Smolensk) Southern Group Stavropol Novocherkask Rostov on Don Armavir Krasnodar Volga-Ural Group Penza Kazan Wolski Chelyabinsk Saratov North-West Group VIFK (St. Petersburg) Mozhaisky Military Academy (St. Petersburg) and military