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This article mainly covers the history of the sport of rugby league from this schism. For information on the history and evolution of Rugby Football prior to this split see also Football and the History Of Rugby Union .


BEFORE THE SCHISM


Although many forms of Football had been played across the world, it was only during the second half of the nineteenth century that these games began to be codified. It was in 1871 that English clubs playing the version of football associated with Rugby School (which involved much more handling of the Ball than Association Football ), met to form the Rugby Football Union . Many new clubs were formed, and it was in the northern English Counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire that the game really took hold. Here rugby was largely a Working Man’s game, whilst the southern clubs were largely Middle-class .

Rugby also spread to Australia and New Zealand , especially the cities of Sydney , Brisbane and Auckland . Here too there was a clear divide between the working- and middle-class players.