The NRL is considering ramping up its concussion protocols further with saliva and blood testing after introducing a mandatory 11-day stand down for players after brain injuries. The ARL Commission confirmed the most significant changes to its concussion policy in almost a decade on Wednesday, declaring player safety is the game’s No.1 priority. Under the…

Australia’s National Rugby League has opted out of introducing a Pride Round in 2023. The decision comes after an anonymous poll of club CEOs, and chairmen revealed a preference against such an event. On March 14, NRL officials launched the Multicultural Round, the first of several special themed rounds, including the Indigenous, Women’s, ANZAC, and Brain…

China is top of mind for Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL) as it begins deliberations around whether to put a team in the South Pacific region—the centre of a geopolitical tug-of-war between Beijing and democratic nations. The move to grant a license to a “Pasifika” club would be the latest “soft power” initiative by the…

Rugby league player, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, has until the end of this week to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as state governments continue locking out unvaccinated Australians from venues. Asofa-Solomona plays for the Melbourne Storm and is the only player on the team resisting the jab. Across the league however, he is not alone, as fellow National…