October
- The Brisbane Broncos win the NRL Premiership after defeating first-placed Melbourne in the Grand Final.
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This article contains information on rugby league played in 2006. The season commenced with the World Club Challenge in England in February and concluded with the Tri-Nations Final in Australia in November.
Bradford Bulls won the one-off match against Wests Tigers 30–10 at Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield.
| Bradford Bulls | 30–10 | Wests Tigers | 3/2/2006 20:00 – Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield Ref: Steve Ganson (England) Attendance: 19,207 |
| Tries: Stuart Fielden (2), Marcus Bai (2), Stanley Gene | Tries: Daniel Fitzhenry, Brett Hodgson | ||
| Goals: Iestyn Harris (5) | Goals: Brett Hodgson (1) |
South Sydney Rabbitohs and the St George Illawarra Dragons played their annual Charity Shield match. The Rabbitohs narrowly took the shield with a score of 14–12, while most of the Dragons' top grade players were being rested on the bench in preparation for weeks to come.
| South Sydney | 14–12 | St George Illawarra | 18 February 2006 20:00 – Telstra Stadium, Sydney Ref: Steve Clark Attendance: 24,566 |
| Tries: Paul Mellor, Shannon Hegarty, David Fa'alogo | Tries: Trent Barrett, Ben Hornby | ||
| Goals: Ben Walker (1) | Goals: Wes Naiqama (2) |
Other results from this week of trials included:
5 - Brisbane, Australia: The 2006 ANZAC Test is played at Suncorp Stadium between Australia and New Zealand is won by the Kangaroos 50-12.
12 - Dubbo, Australia: In the annual City vs Country Origin match, Country NSW defeated City NSW 12–10 at Apex Oval before a crowd of 11,423. [1]
5 July - Telstra Dome, Melbourne, Australia before a crowd of 54,833 the 2006 State of Origin series concludes with Queensland defeating New South Wales
The Super League kicked off the weekend after the World Club Challenge with Hull F.C. defeating the newly promoted Castleford Tigers 42–18. This season saw the entry of Catalans Dragons, who are the first French team to compete since the demise of Paris Saint-Germain at the end of Super League II. The regular season would finish with St. Helens taking out the minor premiership and the Castleford Tigers being relegated to division one. The Super League Grand Final saw St. Helens claim a twelve championship with victory over Hull F.C. at Old Trafford in front of 73,000.
The 99th season of first grade rugby league in Australia was controversial before competition even began. The New Zealand Warriors were fined and penalised four competition points for salary cap breaches in 2004 and 2005. They were fined and started the season on -4 points. The season began on Friday, 10 March, when defending premiers Wests Tigers and early favourites St George Illawarra Dragons played at Telstra Stadium. Melbourne Storm won the Minor Premiership, however, lost to the Brisbane Broncos in the Grand Final in front of over 79,000.
The Powergen Rugby League Challenge Cup is the most prestigious knock-out competition in the world of Rugby League and the 2006 competition saw over a hundred clubs competing from countries including England, France, Russia, Scotland and Wales. The final would see St. Helens take victory 41–12 over the Huddersfield Giants at Twickenham Stadium in front of 65,187.
The National Leagues kicked off on 7 April. There are three divisions, and the top team in National One has the opportunity to enter SuperLeague, subject to minimum standards.
The American National Rugby League kicked off on Wednesday 17 June with the Glen Mills Bulls defeating the Philadelphia Fight 48–26. This season saw the entry of three new competition teams the Jacksonville Axemen, New Haven Warriors and the Boston Braves. At the conclusion of the AMNRL regular season, the Glen Mills Bulls won the Minor Premiership, only to lose lost to the Connecticut Wildcats in the Grand Final Championship match in front of over 2,500.
| Country | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Australia | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
 Great Britain | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
 New Zealand | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Country | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Austria | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
 Cook Islands | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 |
 Czech Republic | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Estonia | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Fiji | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
 Georgia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 Germany | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 Italy | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Lebanon | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 Malta | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Netherlands | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
 Māori | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
 Russia | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 Samoa | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
 Serbia | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
 South Africa | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 Tokelau | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
 Tonga | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
 United States | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Country | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiji A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 France A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| France B | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 Greece | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Ireland A | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Italy A | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 Morocco | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
 Scotland A | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
 Wales A | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Team | Description | Matches | Wins | Losses | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 England Lionhearts | Players from England's totalRL.com Rugby League conference and LHF Healthplan National League Three | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| BARLA | Players from the British Amateur Rugby League Association | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Netherlands 'Tasman' | Players from clubs in the Netherlands | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Australian Prime Minister's XIII | Players form the NRL not selected for the Tri-nations series | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Date | Result | Venue | City | Crowd | Competition | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 January | New Zealand Maori def. Fiji 12–6 | Coffs Harbour International Stadium | Coffs Harbour | 10,000 | Orara Valley Tournament | |
| 26 January | USA def. Japan 40–10 | Coffs Harbour International Stadium | Coffs Harbour | 10,000 | Orara Valley Tournament | |
| 2 February | Italy A def. USA 38–6 | Marconi Stadium | Sydney | 2,000 | Columbus Cup | |
| 23 February | Tonga 64 – 0 Tokelau | Ericsson Stadium | Auckland | 2,000 | Pacific Cup | 1 |
| 23 February | Fiji 26 – 4 Samoa | Ericsson Stadium | Auckland | 2,000 | Pacific Cup | 2 |
| 25 February | Tonga 42 – 14 New Zealand Maori | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | 2,500 | Pacific Cup | 3 |
| 25 February | Fiji 40 – 18 Cook Islands | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | 2,500 | Pacific Cup | 4 |
| 2 March | New Zealand Maori 64 – 4 Tokelau | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | Pacific Cup | 5 | |
| 2 March | Cook Islands 42 – 0 Samoa | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | Pacific Cup | 6 | |
| 5 March | New Zealand Maori 44 – 14 Cook Islands | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | 2,000 | Pacific Cup | Playoff |
| 5 March | Tokelau 34 – 28 Samoa | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | 2,000 | Pacific Cup | Playoff |
| 5 March | Tonga 22 – 4 Fiji | Trusts Stadium | Auckland | 2,000 | Pacific Cup | Final |
| 28 April | Russia def. Netherlands 40–14 | Hook of Holland | 250 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 1 May | England Lionhearts 46–6 Serbia | FK Radnički Stadium | Belgrade | |||
| 5 May | Australia def. New Zealand 50–12 | Suncorp Stadium | Brisbane | 44,191 | ANZAC Test | |
| 6 May | England Lionhearts 50–4 Serbia | FK Mladost Stadium | Novi Sad | 400 | ||
| 13 May | Georgia def. Serbia 45–10 | FK Radnički Stadium | Belgrade | 500 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 23 May | Great Britain Police def. Belgrade 64–0 | FK Radnički Stadium | Belgrade | |||
| 26 May | Georgia def. Netherlands 57–16 | Locomotive Stadium | Tbilisi | 10,935 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 27 May | Great Britain Police def. Serbia 58–8 | FK Mladost Stadium | Novi Sad | |||
| 3 June | Ireland A def. Scotland A 38–30 | St Mary's RFC | Limerick | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 4 June | Russia def. Serbia 44–6 | FK Radnički Stadium | Belgrade | 200 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 9 June | BARLA "B" def. Italy 38–18 | Monselice | Simone Franchini Memorial Tournament | |||
| 9 June | BARLA "A" def. South Africa 34–14 | Monselice | Simone Franchini Memorial Tournament | |||
| 10 June | France B def. Morocco 23–16 | Stade Bernard Bardin | Istres | |||
| 12 June | South Africa def. Italy 76–6 | Monselice | Simone Franchini Memorial Tournament | |||
| 13 June | South Africa def. Italy 60–20 | Monselice | Simone Franchini Memorial Tournament | |||
| 17 June | Netherlands def. Serbia 38–26 | RC Rotterdamse | Rotterdam | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 17 June | France A def. Scotland A 31–16 | Pollok Park | Glasgow | |||
| 25 June | Germany def. Austria 34–32 | Nonner Stadion | Bad Reichenhall | 358 | Central Europe Development Tri-nations | 1 |
| 27 June | Great Britain def. New Zealand 46–14 | Knowsley Road | St. Helens | 10,103 | XXXX Test | |
| 15 July | England Lionhearts def. Ireland A 44–23 | Terenure RFC | Dublin | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 16 July | Wales A def. Scotland A 22–16 | Pollok Park | Glasgow | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 22 July | Germany d. Estonia 38–24 | Viimsi Stadium | Tallinn | 528 | Central Europe Development Tri-nations | 2 |
| 4 August | Netherlands "Tasman" def. Czech Republic 34–28 | RC Rotterdamse | Rotterdam | International Cup | ||
| 12 August | Serbia def. Czech Republic 38–26 | RC Sparta | Prague | Slavic Cup | ||
| 13 August | England Lionhearts def. Scotland A. 46–14 | GHA Rugby Club | Glasgow | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 19 August | Ireland A. def. Wales A 24–10 | Brewery Field | Bridgend | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 2 September | Austria def. Estonia 56–32 | Stier Arena | Paternion, Carinthia | 237 | Central Europe Development Tri-nations | 3 |
| 10 September | England Lionhearts def. Wales A 30–26 | Featherstone Rovers RL | Featherstone | Skanska Amateur Four Nations | ||
| 29 September | Tonga def. Cook Islands 56–14 | Cambelltown Stadium | Sydney | 3,013 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 29 September | Samoa def. Fiji 30–28 | Cambelltown Stadium | Sydney | 3,013 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 30 September | Australian Prime Minister's XIII def. Papua New Guinea 28–8 | Lloyd Robson Oval | Port Moresby | 10,000 | ||
| 4 October | Fiji def. Tonga 30–28 | Western Weekender Stadium | Sydney | 3,813 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 4 October | Samoa def. Cook Islands 46–6 | Western Weekender Stadium | Sydney | 3,813 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 7 October | Fiji def. Cook Islands 40–4 | CUA Stadium | Sydney | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 7 October | Fiji A def. Greece 34–12 | OKI Jubilee Stadium | Sydney | |||
| 8 October | Lebanon def. Malta 36–10 | Western Weekender Stadium | Sydney | Battle of the Phoenicians | ||
| 14 October | Australia def. New Zealand 30–18 | Mt Smart Stadium | Auckland | 17,887 | Tri-nations | 1 |
| 21 October | Australia def. New Zealand 20–15 | Telstra Dome | Melbourne | 30,732 | Tri-nations | 2 |
| 22 October | England def. France 26–10 | Headingley, Leeds | 5,547 | Federation Shield | 1 | |
| 22 October | Tonga def. Samoa 18–10 | Headingley, Leeds | 5,547 | Federation Shield | 2 | |
| 22 October | Ireland def. Russia 50–12 | Sili Stadium | Moscow | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 25 October | Cumbria def. Tonga 28–16 | Derwent Park | Workington | 1,639 | Friendly | |
| 28 October | Lebanon def. Russia 22–8 | New River Stadium | London | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 28 October | USA def. Japan 54–18 | Aston Community Center Field | Aston | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 28 October | Greece def. Serbia 44–26 | Glyka Nera Football Club | Athens | 150 | Friendly | |
| 28 October | New Zealand def. Great Britain 18–14 | Jade Stadium | Christchurch | 17,005 | Tri-nations | 3 |
| 29 October | Scotland def. Wales 21–14 | Brewery Field | Bridgend | 2,378 | 2008 World Cup qualifier | |
| 29 October | France def. Samoa 28–6 | Benichou Stadium | Colomiers | Federation Shield | 3 | |
| 29 October | England def. Tonga 40–18 | Twickenham Stoop | London | Federation Shield | 4 | |
| 4 November | Great Britain def. Australia 23–12 | Sydney Football Stadium | Sydney | 24,953 | Tri-nations | 4 |
| 5 November | Ireland tied with Lebanon 18–18 | Tolka Park | Dublin | 2008 World Cup qualifier | ||
| 5 November | Tonga def. France 48–10 | Municipal Stadium Pierre Antoine | Castres | Federation Shield | 5 | |
| 5 November | England def. Samoa 38–14 | KC Stadium | Hull | 5,698 | Federation Shield | 6 |
| 11 November | New Zealand 34 – 4 Great Britain | Westpac Stadium | Wellington | Tri-nations | 5 | |
| 12 November | England 32 – 14 Tonga | Halton Stadium | Widnes | Federation Shield | Final | |
| 18 November | Australia 33 – 10 Great Britain | Suncorp Stadium | Brisbane | 44,358 | Tri-nations | 6 |
| 25 November | Australia 16 – 12 New Zealand | Sydney Football Stadium | Sydney | Tri-nations | Final |
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Rugby league football has been played and watched by people in the Australian state of Victoria since the early 20th century. While for most of its history there the game's popularity has been marginal due to the dominance of Australian rules football in Victoria, rugby league's popularity has rapidly increased in recent years in the state's capital of Melbourne, due mainly to the introduction of a professional Melbourne-based team in the national competition. The governing body is NRL Victoria.
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