The RFL was controlled by thirty professional clubs and the amateurs hadn’t any say or vote in their own destiny and their sport was seriously declining. They broke away with a £25 bank balance collected on the night becoming a successful sports story of modern times.

The RFL initially were against recognising BARLA but within a year approved them and in 2004 both organisations unified with BARLA keeping their own autonomy.

The first act saw the formation of the Yorkshire, Pennine and North West Counties Leagues from the vast number of District Leagues; Barrow, Cumberland, Hull and London Leagues remained as they were for geographical reasons. The standards and numbers of clubs speedily rose following improved governance of BARLA.

The BARLA National Cup, Lancashire County Cup, Yorkshire County Cup began in 1973 followed nine years later by the Cumbria County Cup and continue to be prestigious vibrant blue chip competitions.

Part of the BARLA ethos is ‘Play for BARLA and see the World’ which following Cross Channel clashes with France in 1975 by both the BARLA Great Britain Lions and Young Lions; saw in 1977 the Young Lions play in Australia and New Zealand and in1978 the BARLA Great Britain Lions toured Papua New Guineas to develop the game (where it is now their national sport).

BARLA were this countries first Great Britain side to tour South Africa in 1993, hosted the Australian Aboriginals in 1997 and 2002, the only British organisation invite them and have twice visited them.

BARLA to date has made over 31 tours to and from the Southern Hemisphere among which are pioneer and development visits to Fiji, Western Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands and South Africa. Games have been played against Italy, Moldavia, Morocco, Russia, Serbia, Ukraine and the USA in the Northern Hemisphere.

The BARLA International Pathway continues for the amateur game with representative levels at under seventeen’s, nineteen’s, twenty ones, twenty threes and open age.

BARLA Great Britain Lions and the BARLA Great Britain Young Lions are touring Western Australia and Serbia in June this year to continue promoting and developing the game.

The BARLA Great Britain side is the current World Champions of the amateur game having won the Emerging Nations World Championship beating Italy 20-14 in the final at Dewsbury. This was part of the Rugby League World Cup when the event was played in this country in 2000.

BARLA played a major role establishing ’free gangway’ between the two codes at amateur status in 1987. The agreement allowed players to inter-change between Rugby League and Rugby Union without fear of discrimination, a move that was truly a piece of rugby history which helped to bring about the end of rugby apartheid which had existed between rugby league and rugby union since the last century.

On the 30th November 1990, Queen Elizabeth 11 opened BARLA’s new building at West Yorkshire House, which gave the royal seal of approval to over 100,000 rugby league volunteers involved in the sport every week of the season giving their time and efforts promoting rugby league at grass roots level.

BARLA has continued to build its reputation in rugby league circles as being a sport committed to the principles of equal opportunities ensuring the culture, philosophy and processes within BARLA are free from bias and discrimination which has kept its grassroots in the villages and towns were it all began in 1973.

Steve Manning
BARLA Media Manager