1895 - Threatened with expulsion from the RFU if they cannot prove their amateurism, 21 leading Lancashire and Yorkshire clubs meet at the George Hotel, Huddersfield on 29 August 1895. They vote unanimously to form the Northern Rugby Football Union (NU) and allow broken-time payments.
1896 - Manningham of Bradford win first NU Championship.
1897 - To make the game more exciting, the NU abolishes the line-out and reduces value of all goals to two points. Tries worth three points. Batley beat St Helens in first Challenge Cup final.
1904 - First international match: England (3) Other Nationalities (9) at Wigan.
1906 - Modern rugby league is born when the number of players is reduced from fifteen to thirteen a side. Rucks and mauls after a tackle replaced by the play-the-ball.
1907 - Rugby league spreads to Australia and New Zealand. First New Zealand side, organised by A.H. Baskerville, tours Britain
With thanks to my colleagues in the league code
AFL (Australian football league) and Rugby league
1908
France
1869
Samoa
1920
1916
1992/93 was the first Premier League season
no, neither. NL in 1876, AL in 1901
October 1902
Tom Wills.
They Needed a name for the football league