The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in the United Kingdom. It administers the Great Britain national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, the Rugby League National Leagues and Super League (Europe). The amateur/junior game is administered in association with the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA).
With the advent of Wales Rugby League, Scotland Rugby League and Rugby League Ireland, the RFL are increasingly becoming an English organisation.
The RFL is part of the Community Board which also has representatives from BARLA, Combined Services, English Schools Rugby League and Student Rugby League.
On 29 August 1895, 22 rugby clubs from across the north of England held a meeting in the George Hotel in Huddersfield, next to the railway station. They voted to secede from the Rugby Football Union and set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union, later known as the Northern Union (NU). This became the Rugby Football League in 1922.
The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisation. This has since been supplanted by Super League and the Rugby League National Leagues.