NRLB TO EXPAND DOMESTIC SEASON AS DUTCH RUGBY LEAGUE ENTERS NEW GROWTH PHASE

The Nederlandse Rugby League Bond (NRLB) has revealed a significant shift in its domestic strategy, intending to extend the Rugby League season starting in 2027 and substantially increase opportunities for players and clubs throughout the Netherlands.

For several years, the NRLB has deliberately operated within a short summer window, attempting to complement the Rugby Union calendar and enable players to participate in both codes.

Following a review of the 2026 season, the Bond believes that approach is now restricting rather than supporting the development of Rugby League.

The 2026 domestic competition operated with four clubs, rather than the six the NRLB had hoped would participate, as an increasingly congested summer calendar created challenges around player availability.

Despite those challenges, the season produced a competitive conclusion, with Zwolle Wolves defeating Amsterdam Cobras in the Grand Final to lift the Jason Bruygoms Trophy for the first time in four years.

NRLB CEO, Daan van Rossum, said the season demonstrated both the potential of the domestic game and the need for change.

“The 2026 season gave us some really positive moments, not least seeing Zwolle Wolves lift the Jason Bruygoms Trophy again after a strong Grand Final against Amsterdam Cobras.

“But it also highlighted the limitations of the calendar we have been operating within.

“We wanted six clubs competing this year and ultimately operated with four. We are trying to fit Rugby League between the end of the Union season, Sevens, beach rugby, summer holidays and then the beginning of club pre-season.

“That gives us a very small window in which to develop players, build clubs and create a meaningful competition.

“Our responsibility as the governing body is to create the best possible environment for Rugby League to grow. From 2027, that means a longer and more meaningful domestic programme, giving our clubs and players more opportunities to play the sport.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH FROM 2027

In June 2025, NRLB President Craig Shepherd met Rugby Nederland Chairman Friso Horstmeier to discuss how the two governing bodies could work constructively alongside one another.

The intention was to develop a model through which Rugby League and Rugby Union could complement each other, create additional opportunities for players and ultimately make Rugby collectively stronger in the Netherlands.

The NRLB subsequently continued to structure its domestic competition around the traditional Union calendar.

However, with the available summer window becoming progressively more congested, and the level of practical cooperation originally hoped for not developing sufficiently, the NRLB has concluded that its future growth cannot depend upon avoiding Rugby Union activity.

From 2027, the organisation will instead construct its domestic programme around the needs of Rugby League.

NRLB President Craig Shepherd said:

“When I met Friso last year, I genuinely believed there was an opportunity for Rugby League and Rugby Union to work alongside one another and become stronger together.

“I still believe cooperation makes sense where there is a genuine willingness from both sides to make it happen.

“But we have spent several years deliberately trying not to interfere with the Union calendar and the space available to Rugby League has become smaller and smaller.

“We have effectively been trying to squeeze an entire sport into whatever weeks happen to be left over.

“That isn’t a serious long-term development model. Rugby League has to start backing itself, and from 2027 we will.”

BACKING RUGBY LEAGUE

The NRLB stresses that the change is not a declaration of hostility towards Rugby Union.

Instead, it represents a decision that Rugby League will compete confidently for players, clubs, supporters, commercial partners and its place within the Dutch sporting landscape.

Shepherd continued:

“This isn’t about being anti-Rugby Union. I have enormous respect for the thousands of players, coaches and volunteers involved in Union across the Netherlands. Many of our players come from those clubs and will continue to do so.

“This is about Rugby League no longer behaving as though it needs permission to grow.

“We are told by players repeatedly that they love playing League. Some tell us they actually prefer it. It's faster, tougher, and more enjoyable.

“So let’s give them more opportunities to play it and allow them to make that choice for themselves.

“We already have Rugby League established in Rotterdam (Pitbulls), Amsterdam (Cobras), Den Bosch (Brabant Bears) and Zwolle (Wolves), and those clubs remain central to the future of our domestic game.

“But the opportunity is much bigger than four locations.

“We want Rugby League to have the opportunity to develop right across the Netherlands. There should be no predetermined map of where the sport can or cannot grow.

“If an existing Rugby club wants to establish a League team alongside its current programme, we will support them. If someone wants to create a new standalone Rugby League club in their town or city, we want to speak to them.

“There is Rugby talent throughout the country. Our job is to support and strengthen the clubs we already have while creating opportunities for new communities to discover the game.”

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NETHERLANDS

The strategic change comes at a potentially significant time for the international game, with discussions continuing around NRL involvement in Super League and the wider development of Rugby League in Europe.

While the outcome of those discussions is yet to be determined, the NRLB believes a renewed focus on strengthening the European game could create significant opportunities for developing nations.

The Netherlands already possesses a substantial Rugby-playing population and an established network of clubs throughout the country, but unlike many comparable European Rugby nations does not have an established professional Rugby Union competition or franchise.

The NRLB believes that creates a significant opportunity for Rugby League.

Shepherd said:

“The international landscape is changing.

“There are serious conversations taking place about the future of Super League and about making Rugby League stronger internationally and across Europe.

“Nobody should pretend to know exactly where those discussions will ultimately lead, but if greater ambition and investment comes into European Rugby League, the Netherlands needs to be ready.

“We have a huge pool of Rugby talent, major population centres, excellent infrastructure and an attractive commercial market, yet we don’t have an established professional Rugby competition here competing for that talent or audience.

“Why shouldn’t Rugby League aspire to fill some of that space?

“We need to stop placing artificial limitations on our own ambition.”

BUILDING TOWARDS 2027

Work will now begin on the structure of the expanded 2027 domestic season, alongside an increased focus on club development, player recruitment and the continued growth of men’s, women’s and youth Rugby League.

The NRLB will actively engage existing Rugby clubs interested in adding Rugby League to their programmes, as well as individuals and communities interested in establishing new standalone clubs.

Van Rossum added:

“Our focus now is on turning this strategy into something tangible.

“We want more clubs, more players and more matches, but importantly we also want sustainable clubs that can become part of their local communities.

“The next step is to make the existing foundations stronger while helping Rugby League establish itself in many more parts of the Netherlands.

“There should be no predetermined map of where Rugby League can or cannot grow. If there are people in a city, town or community who want to build something, we want to help them do it.

“We learned a lot from 2026 and we will use those lessons to build something stronger for 2027.

“There is a lot of Rugby talent in this country. Our job is to give that talent more opportunities to discover Rugby League.”

Shepherd concluded:

“We remain willing to work constructively with Rugby Nederland wherever there is a genuine opportunity to do so.

“But the future of Rugby League in the Netherlands cannot be dependent upon somebody else creating space for us.

“From 2027, we will create that space ourselves. Rugby League will create its own future in the Netherlands.”