Quota players is a term in sport referring to the limit of foreign players on a domestic team.
Professional and semi-professional rugby league clubs playing in the British rugby league system (i.e., the Super League, Championship, and League 1) are restricted in the number of foreign players permitted in their squad. Since 2021, this is a maximum of seven 'non-Federation trained players', which is defined as players who did not play rugby league for three seasons within the European Rugby League prior to the age of twenty-one. [1]
As of 2019, Super League clubs were permitted to have a maximum of five foreign passport holders in their squad. Additionally, they were permitted no more than seven non-Federation trained players. Passport holders from any EU nation or a Kolpak nation were not considered foreign passport holders. [2]
For the Canadian-based Toronto Wolfpack, American, Canadian, and Jamaican players do not count towards the foreign quota.
After the Widnes Vikings went into administration in 2019, Krisnan Inu, Wellington Albert, and Adam Tangata were exempt from the overseas quota for the duration of their next contract after they were released by Widnes. [2]
Previously, the maximum number of foreign players for each Super League club was three. Harlequins RL were permitted four quota players as they are considered to be a non-heartland team. The Welsh team Crusaders is allowed 14 overseas players and French side Catalans Dragons are allowed eight non-French players. Championship teams were only allowed one quota player, aside from Toulouse who have five foreign players.
Australian-born Lachlan Lam of the Leigh Leopards is considered a Federation-trained player as he played rugby league as a child in Wigan during his father Adrian's playing career. [6] [7]
The Leigh Leopards are a professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester, England, who compete in the Betfred Super League.
Denis Charles Betts is an English rugby league coach and former player. He was assistant coach of the England national team.
Danny Tickle is an English former professional rugby league footballer who plays in the second-row for Workington Town in Betfred League 1, Tickle is also a noted goal-kicker. During his career Tickle played for several clubs including Halifax, Wigan Warriors, Hull F.C., Widnes Vikings, Castleford Tigers, Leigh Centurions and Hull Kingston Rovers.
Kevin Brown is a former English professional rugby league footballer who last played as a stand-off for the Salford Red Devils in the Betfred Super League. He has played for England at international level.
Robert James Beswick is a former rugby league footballer who played as a hooker or loose forward. He started his professional career in 2004 with the Wigan Warriors in the Super League. He left the club in 2006 and spent the next ten seasons in the Championship with the Widnes Vikings, Halifax and the Leigh Centurions. In 2017, Beswick joined the Toronto Wolfpack and played in the club's inaugural league game before finishing his career with Newcastle Thunder. Beswick also represented at Ireland at international level, and was capped 26 times between 2006 and 2019.
Adrian Lam is a Papua New Guinean professional rugby league coach, and former player, who is currently the head coach of the Super League club Leigh Leopards.
Oliver Wilkes is a former Scotland international rugby League footballer who played as a prop, second-row and loose forward in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s.
Dennis Moran, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played in the National Rugby League for the Parramatta Eels club and in the Super League for the London Broncos and the Wigan Warriors clubs, usually in the halves.
Mick Nanyn is a former Scotland international rugby league footballer. He played as a centre and was a specialist goal-kicker. He set point scoring records at several of the clubs he played for. Nanyn started his career at Swinton, and went on to play for the Rochdale Hornets, Whitehaven, Widnes, Oldham (Heritage № 1225) and the Leigh Centurions. He also played for Scotland at international level.
Thomas Martyn is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, and coached in the 2000s. He played at representative level for Ireland, and at club level for Oldham, St. Helens in the Championship, and, subsequently, Super League and Leigh, as a stand-off. Martyn was known for his very good passing ability and vision. He was able to enjoy a successful rugby career despite undergoing two knee reconstructions.
The 2008 Wigan Warriors season saw the club compete in Super League XIII as well as the 2008 Challenge Cup tournament.
Shaun Ainscough is a former English professional rugby league footballer who last played as a winger for the Rochdale Hornets in the Betfred Championship.
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The Super League is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of which eleven are from Northern England, reflecting the sport's geographic heartland within the UK, and one from southern France.
Joshua Charnley is an English international professional rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for the Leigh Leopards in the Super League.
Joseph Patrick Mellor is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off or scrum-half for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Gareth "Gaz" O'Brien is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a fullback, scrum-half or stand-off for the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.
Lewis Tierney is a former rugby league footballer who played on the wing or at fullback.
Lachlan Lam is a Papua New Guinea international rugby league footballer who plays as a stand-off, scrum-half and hooker for the Leigh Leopards in the Super League.
Keanan Brand is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre for Barrow Raiders in th RFL Championship, on short-term loan from the Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Super League.