Clash of Codes is a term in sports used to describe a match played between two teams who play different codes of the same sport. Games are usually played with the codes changing at half-time, or across two matches of the difference codes with an aggregate score.
Usually associated with the codes of football, and especially rugby, several games have occurred throughout history.
The first clash of codes match between American football and rugby league was played between Jacksonville Axemen and Jacksonville Knights. The league side Axemen defeated the American football side Knights 38–27. [1]
In September 1909 the national league and union sides of Australia played a four match test series resulting in two wins a piece for either side. The exact format and rules of the game are unknown. All games were played at the Agricultural Oval in Sydney.
The first clash of codes game in the UK between rugby league and rugby union received a lot of media attention and was labelled as The Clash of the Codes . The game was between Bath and Wigan and saw league side Wigan win with an aggregate score of 101–50 across two games. [2] [3]
In January 2003, St. Helens took on Sale Sharks in a single game played at Knowsley Road, which had one half under league rules and the other under union rules. At the time Sale had the been a professional side for almost a decade which helped improve both strength and fitness that was necessary for them to adapt to the constant tackling required in rugby league, as well as being able to call on the services of a number of ex-league players, most notably Jason Robinson, who had played for Wigan in 1996, factors which were thought to have resulted in a much closer game compared to that of Bath vs Wigan. Having built up a 41–0 lead under union rules, St Helens were restricted to only 39 points under league rules. [4]
27 January 2003 |
St. Helens | 39 – 41 | Sale Sharks |
---|---|---|
Tries: Joynt 1 Maden 1 Newlove 1 Gardner 2 Kirkpatrick 1 Hooper 1 Goals: Long 2 | Report | Tries: 1 Cueto 2 Hanley 2 Davies 1 Turner 1 Schofield Goals: 3 Wigglesworth |
St Helens | Sale Sharks |
In February 2014, eleven years after the first dual code single game, it was announced that the AJ Bell Stadium would see another fixture, scheduled for 26 August 2014, between the facility's two tenants, Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks, to raise money for various charities. [5] However, in July the same year it was subsequently announced that the game was being postponed owing to the difficulties of the two clubs' respective league schedules - the original date was between two important fixtures towards the end of Salford's league season, while Sale had yet to start their own league season. [6]
In October 2015, Western Suburbs Magpies played Randwick DRUFC in Australia's first Clash of Codes games of domestic teams in what was described as "hybrid rugby". The game was 13-a-side and featured league rules when in the teams own half and union rules when in the opposition half, as well as 60 second transitions. The league side won 47–19, with union points for tries, and league points for conversions, penalties, and drop goals. [7]
Jason Thorpe Robinson is an English former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. Playing as a wing or fullback, he won 51 rugby union international caps for England and is the first black man to captain the England team. He was part of the 2003 World Cup winning rugby union England team.
Iestyn Rhys Harris, also known by the nickname of "Welsh Wizard", is a former dual-code international professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coach in rugby league in the 2000s and 2010s. He played representative rugby league for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for the Warrington Wolves, the Leeds Rhinos (captain) where he won the 1998 Man of Steel Award, the Bradford Bulls (captain), and Featherstone Rovers, and representative rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff RFC and Cardiff Blues, and has coached representative rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, the Crusaders Rugby League, the Wigan Warriors, and Salford Red Devils.
The Salford Red Devils are a professional rugby league club in Barton-upon-Irwell, Greater Manchester, England. They play home games at Salford Community Stadium and compete in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league.
The Salford Community Stadium is a rugby stadium in Barton-upon-Irwell, England, built to replace Salford rugby league club's ground the Willows for the 2012 season. Sale Sharks rugby union club have also played at the stadium since the 2012–13 season.
The Jacksonville Axemen are a semi-professional rugby league team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They currently play in the USA Rugby League (USARL). They play their home games at the North Practice Soccer Fields at the University of North Florida.
Adrian Michael Hadley is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s, and coached rugby union in the 1990s and 2000s. He played representative rugby union (RU) for Wales, at invitational level for the Barbarians F.C., and at club level for Cardiff RFC, and the Sale Sharks, as a wing, or centre, and representative rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Salford and Widnes, as a wing, and coached club level rugby union (RU) for Sale Sharks.
Josh Griffin is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a centre or second-rower for Wakefield Trinity in the Betfred Super League.
William Arthur Williams was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Wales, and at club level for Crumlin and Cross Keys as a flanker, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Salford (captain), as a prop, or second-row, i.e. number 8 or 10, or, 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.
The 1908–09 Northern Rugby Football Union season was the 14th season of rugby league football in the United Kingdom.
Albert Kelly is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a five-eighth or halfback for the Redcliffe Dolphins in the Hostplus Cup.
Clash of the Codes was a special two match inter-code series between rugby union side Bath and rugby league side Wigan, played in May 1996. Other Clash of Codes games have also taken place.
Morgan Escaré is a French professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback for AS Carcassonne in the Elite One Championship and France at international level.
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Craig Murdock is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a Scrum-half. Murdock played for Hensingham ARLFC, Wigan, Hull Sharks, Salford City Reds and Hull Kingston Rovers.
The 1996 Wigan season was the 101st season in the club's rugby league history and the first season in the newly formed Super League. Coached by Graeme West and captained by Shaun Edwards, Wigan competed in Super League I and finished in 2nd place, but went on to win the Premiership Final at Old Trafford against St. Helens. The club also competed in the 1996 Challenge Cup, but were knocked out in the fifth round by First Division side Salford Reds, and was the first time the club had failed to win the trophy since 1987.
Joe Burgess is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for Hull KR in the Betfred Super League, and England at international level.
The St Helens R.F.C. – Wigan Warriors rivalry is a historic local rivalry between the rugby league clubs St Helens and the Wigan Warriors, based in North West England. The rivalry is born out of relative proximity of the two towns, but as two of the most successful clubs in British rugby it has become a marquee event in the calendar.
Bevan French is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, wing, or stand-off for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
The 2020 season is Wigan Warriors's 40th consecutive season playing in England's top division of rugby league. During the season, they competed in the Super League XXV and the 2020 Challenge Cup.