Rugby league and rugby union look almost identical to a newcomer: two teams, an oval ball, hard tackles and tries scored in the corner. They are actually two separate sports — or “codes” — that share a common ancestor but run on different rules. They field different numbers of players, treat the tackle differently and award different points for the same scores. For Kiwi fans the fastest way to tell them apart is the national teams: the All Blacks play union, while the Kiwis and the New Zealand Warriors play league. This guide explains what actually changes between the two, with New Zealand in mind.
Why there are two codes
Both games grew out of the same 19th-century football played at Rugby School in England. The split came in 1895 over money. Working-class clubs in the north of England wanted to pay players “broken-time” compensation for wages lost while playing, and the Rugby Football Union — which insisted the game stay strictly amateur — refused. On 29 August 1895, 21 clubs based in the north of England broke away from rugby union’s governing body to form their own competition — the Northern Rugby Football Union (the Northern Union), the governing body known today as the Rugby Football League.
From there the breakaway code changed its rules to make the game faster and more spectator-friendly, which is why league and union now differ so much on the field. Union itself stayed amateur for another century: the sport was only declared “open” — meaning players could finally be paid — by the International Rugby Football Board in late August 1995. So for most of their history, one code was professional and the other was not.
Rugby league vs rugby union: the key differences at a glance
The table below sums up the main differences. Each one is explained in plain English in the sections underneath, so you do not need to know the jargon first.
Comparison
| Feature | Rugby Union | Rugby League |
|---|---|---|
| Players on the field | 15 (8 forwards, 7 backs) | 13 (6 forwards, 7 backs) |
| Tackles allowed | Unlimited; ball contested | Six per set, then possession turns over |
| After a tackle | Contested ruck or maul | Uncontested play-the-ball |
| Scrums | Contested, 8 players a side | Uncontested, 6 players, rarely decisive |
| Lineouts | Yes | None (play-the-ball restart instead) |
| Try | 5 points | 4 points |
| Conversion | 2 points | 2 points |
| Penalty goal | 3 points | 2 points |
| Drop goal | 3 points | 1 point (field goal) |
| Bench | Up to 8 replacements, limited return | 6 named, 4 usable, 8 interchanges (NRL 2026) |
| Ball in play (approx.) | ~35 minutes | ~50 minutes |
| New Zealand national team | All Blacks | Kiwis |
Team size and positions
A rugby union team has 15 players on the field — eight forwards (the bigger players who contest the set pieces) and seven backs (the faster players who run and kick). A rugby league team has 13 players: six forwards and seven backs. Those two missing forwards are the flankers, positions that only exist in union. Fewer players means more open space in league, which is one reason it tends to look faster.
The tackle: the single biggest difference
What happens after a tackle is where the two codes split most clearly, so it is worth getting right.
In rugby union, tackles are unlimited. When a player is brought down, both teams can fight for the ball on the ground in a “ruck”, or while still standing in a “maul”. Either side can win possession, so keeping the ball is a contest on every tackle. A team can hold the ball for as long as it can protect it.
In rugby league, each team gets a set of six tackles. After the sixth tackle without a score, possession automatically passes to the other team — which is why you often see a long kick on the last tackle. There is no contest on the ground: the tackled player is allowed to stand up and roll the ball back with their foot to a team-mate in a move called the “play-the-ball”, while defenders retreat. This uncontested restart is what gives league its stop-start-but-quick rhythm.
Set pieces: scrums and lineouts
A “set piece” is a staged restart after the ball goes out or play is stopped. Union keeps these as a genuine contest; league has largely stripped them out.
- Scrums. In union, a scrum packs eight players from each side together and both teams push hard to win the ball — it can swing a match. In league, the scrum uses six players, is effectively uncontested and mostly just restarts play.
- Lineouts. When the ball goes out over the sideline, union restarts with a lineout, where players are lifted to catch a thrown ball. League has no lineouts at all; when the ball goes into touch in open play, play is restarted with a play-the-ball on the 20-metre line rather than a contested throw.
How scoring differs
Both codes score in the same four ways — a try, a conversion, a penalty goal and a drop goal — but most are worth different points, so the same passage of play can be worth more in one code than the other.
- Try (grounding the ball over the line): 5 points in union, 4 in league.
- Conversion (the kick after a try): 2 points in both codes.
- Penalty goal (a kick awarded for an infringement): 3 points in union, 2 in league.
- Drop goal (a kick in open play, called a “field goal” in league): 3 points in union, just 1 in league.
Because a converted try is worth seven in union and six in league, and because penalties and drop goals pay less in league, the quickest route to the scoreboard in both codes is almost always the try. If you are learning to follow the odds on either game, our guide to how sports betting works in New Zealand explains how prices and payouts are set.
Substitutions and interchange
The codes also manage their benches differently. In professional rugby union, teams usually name up to eight replacements, and a player who has been substituted generally cannot come back on — with narrow exceptions for blood injuries, head-injury assessments and front-row cover.
Rugby league uses rolling “interchange”: a player can be swapped off and brought back on more than once, within a capped number of changes. In Australia and New Zealand’s National Rugby League, the 2026 rules let clubs name a 19-man squad with a six-player bench, of which only four may be used, for a maximum of eight interchanges per match. If you follow the competition, our round-by-round coverage of the NRL draw tracks the fixtures through the season.
Pace and style of play
All these rules add up to two different-feeling games. Because union contests every tackle and every set piece, the ball is typically in play for around 35 minutes of the 80. League’s uncontested play-the-ball keeps the ball live longer — often around 50 minutes — so it can feel more relentless. A common shorthand is that union rewards tactical, territory-based play while league rewards speed, structure and repeated collisions. Neither is “harder”; they simply demand different things.
Which code is which in New Zealand
In New Zealand, “rugby” on its own almost always means union. It is the country’s national sport, represented by the All Blacks (and the Black Ferns in the women’s game), and the top club competition most Kiwis follow is Super Rugby. The marquee international rivalry is the Bledisloe Cup, where the All Blacks face Australia.
Rugby league has a strong home in New Zealand too, especially around Auckland. The national team is the Kiwis, who won the Rugby League World Cup in 2008, and the New Zealand Warriors are the country’s professional club in the Australian-based NRL. Australia is the main place in the world where league is more popular than union; across most of the globe, union is the bigger code. Both games draw plenty of betting interest here, and our rugby betting guide covers the markets and codes in more detail.
Responsible gambling
This article is general information about two sports and how they differ. It is not betting advice and does not encourage you to gamble. Betting in New Zealand is for adults aged 18 and over. If gambling is causing harm for you or someone you know, free and confidential help is available 24/7 from Gambling Helpline Aotearoa on 0800 654 655, and information on safer gambling is published by the Department of Internal Affairs. Only ever bet what you can afford to lose.
Sources
- Rugby Football League — History & Heritage (1895 breakaway)
- World Rugby — Beginner’s guide: playing positions (15s: 8 forwards, 7 backs)
- World Rugby — Laws of the Game, Law 3: Number of players
- World Rugby — Laws of the Game, Law 19: Scrum
- International Rugby League — Laws of the Game 2022 (PDF)
- World Rugby — How rugby union turned professional (1995)
- Zero Tackle — NRL confirm rule changes for 2026
- NZ Pocket Guide — The difference between rugby league and rugby union
- TeachPE — Rugby League vs Rugby Union
- Gambling Helpline Aotearoa — free 24/7 support (0800 654 655)
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between rugby league and “normal” rugby?
“Normal” rugby usually means rugby union, the 15-a-side code played by the All Blacks. Rugby league is the 13-a-side version with a six-tackle limit, an uncontested play-the-ball after each tackle and slightly different points. They split from the same original game in 1895.
Do the All Blacks play rugby union or rugby league?
The All Blacks play rugby union. New Zealand’s rugby league side is called the Kiwis, and the country’s professional league club is the New Zealand Warriors, who compete in the NRL.
Who gets paid more, rugby union or rugby league?
It depends on the competition rather than the code. Top union internationals in Europe, Japan and Super Rugby and the leading stars of the NRL can all earn large salaries. Globally, union has the bigger market and more high-paying leagues, but in Australia and New Zealand the NRL pays league players very well.
Which code is tougher or more physical?
Both are heavy-contact sports. League keeps the ball in play longer and features more frequent, structured collisions, while union adds the physical contests of rucks, mauls, scrums and lineouts. Neither is objectively harder — they stress the body in different ways.
Why is rugby union sometimes seen as more “posh”?
The 1895 split was partly along class lines. Rugby league grew from working-class clubs in northern England that wanted to pay players, while union stayed amateur and was long associated with private schools and universities. That old reputation lingers in parts of England, but it says little about how either game is played in New Zealand today.
