Cessnock is a city in the Hunter Region of New South Wales, Australia, about 52 km (32 mi) by road west of Newcastle. It is the administrative centre of the City of Cessnock LGA and was named after an 1826 grant of land called Cessnock Estate, which was owned by John Campbell. The local area was once known as "The Coalfields", and it is the gateway city to the vineyards of the Hunter Valley, which includes Pokolbin, Mount View, Lovedale, Broke, Rothbury, and Branxton.
Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with rugby union, rugby league was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is in the south of France.
The Country Rugby League of New South Wales (CRL), formed in 1934 and disbanded in 2019, was the governing body for the sport of rugby league football in areas of New South Wales outside the Sydney metropolitan area until it merged with NSW Rugby League in 2019. The CRL was superseded by 6 NSWRL Country Divisions represented by 4 members of the nine-person NSWRL board. Despite its name, the CRL also governed rugby league in the Australian Capital Territory. Apart from selecting a Country Origin side to play in the annual City vs Country Origin game, the CRL administered many senior and junior competitions across the state.
The Newcastle Rugby League is a local rugby league football competition in Newcastle, Australia. It is one of the oldest rugby league competitions in Australia, founded in 1910. A Newcastle representative team was also assembled from players in the League during most of the 20th century. The first grade competition also comprises the NSWRL Presidents Cup Northern Conference.
Constantine Mika is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row or loose forward for Brooklyn Kings in the North America Rugby League. He previously played for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL, Hull Kingston Rovers in the Super League, Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship, as well as a spell playing rugby union for Provence Rugby in the French Pro D2.
The French rugby league system is a four tiered structure with the major national club competition being the Elite One Championship. Below this is the Elite Two Championship and a number of regional leagues. The teams in each competition can change each year depending on final standings and relegation/promotion.
Frank Winterstein is an Australian international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship.
Don Schofield was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. An Australia national and New South Wales state representative forward, he played his club football in the Newcastle Rugby League for Cessnock and in the New South Wales Rugby League for Sydney's Western Suburbs.
Johnathon Ford is a Cook Islands international rugby league footballer who plays for Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Championship, joining on 17 April 2022, after having left Toulouse Olympique on 26 January 2022. He mainly played in the halves but is also comfortable slotting into fullback and centre.
Mark Kheirallah, also known by the nickname of "Killer", is a France international rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback or scrum-half for Featherstone Rovers in the Betfred Championship.
Frank Stanmore (1929–2005) was an Australian rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. An Australian international and New South Wales interstate representative five-eighth, he played club football in Sydney's NSWRFL for Western Suburbs, winning the 1948 Premiership with them. Stanmore also played in the Newcastle Rugby League and was inducted into the Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame.
Ken Sio is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League.
Mitch Garbutt is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Championship.
Eloni Vunakece is a former Fiji international rugby league footballer who played as a prop for the Sydney Roosters in the NRL. He also played for Toulouse Olympique in the French Elite One Championship.
Nathan Ross, nicknamed "White Lightning" or "Ross Dog", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a wing, fullback and centre.
Lucas Albert is a French rugby league footballer who plays as a scrum-half or stand-off for Toulouse Olympique in the Betfred Super League and France at international level.
Abbas Miski is a Lebanese international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
Rhys Curran is a France international rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward for the London Broncos in the Betfred Championship.
Brayden Musgrove is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Newcastle Knights in the NRL.
Mathieu Jussaume is a professional rugby league player with Toulouse Olympique in Super League. He plays centre and is a product of the Toulouse academy system.
