NRL
Sports abbreviation · Sports League and Organization
| Stands for | National Rugby League |
|---|---|
| Categories | Sports |
NRL stands for National Rugby League, a sports league and organization abbreviation.
Top professional rugby league competition in Australia and New Zealand, with 17 clubs as of 2025. The season runs from March to the NRL Grand Final in Sydney in early October, and the governing body also stages the State of Origin series.
Example: Penrith won four straight NRL premierships from 2021 to 2024.
Usage notes
Formed in 1998 to end the "Super League war," a split between the Australian Rugby League and the News Corp-backed Super League. Rugby league uses 13 players a side and a six-tackle rule; rugby union is a different code with 15 players. The Dolphins joined as the 17th club in 2023.
Related abbreviations
More sports league and organization abbreviations
- NFL – National Football League
- NFLPA – National Football League Players Association
- NHL – National Hockey League
- NHRA – National Hot Rod Association
- NIL – Name, image and likeness
- NPB – Nippon Professional Baseball
- NWSL – National Women's Soccer League
- Pac-12 – Pacific-12 Conference
- PBA – Philippine Basketball Association
- PBR – Professional Bull Riders
- PFL – Professional Fighters League
- PGA – PGA Tour