It is one of the two major codes of rugby football, the other being rugby union. Players on field are divided into forwards and backs. Each position has a designated number, 1 to 13. Numbers 14 to 17 are given to players starting on the bench, who will come into the game as substitutes for other players who are injured, in need of a rest, or less suited to the coach's strategy for that particular phase of the game.

Rugby league is played in more than 30 countries, though it is most commonly played in the United Kingdom (predominantly northern England) Australia and New Zealand.