Which came first - Rugby League or Rugby Union?
Comparison of rugby league and rugby union of England, the word 'rugby' could refer to either sport, but usually means "rugby league". The nickname "rugger", which developed in England's elite schools, almost always refers to rugby union. In Australia and New Zealand, rugby league is usually known as "league" or "football" with the latter term potentially confusing as Australian rules football and Association football could also be called football. Rugby union is often simply referred to as "rugby" without the ambiguity that this term carries in the UK. In France, rugby union is called "rugby à quinze" (rugby with 15) or simply "rugby" whilst rugby league is
Rugby league Rugby Football Union, was established in 1895 as a breakaway faction of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new faster, stronger paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football "league"s" and introducing Northern Union rules. In 1922, the Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby