International Rugby League

The International Rugby League

Upcoming season or competition: 2023 IRL season
Formerly	The Seran Rugby League
Sport	Rugby
Founded	August 1, 1928 (1928-08-01)
Inaugural season	August 1st, 1926
Commissioner	Easton Farmer (Zamastan)
Country	United States of Sera
Headquarters	Ayotola, Unified Sera
Most recent champion(s)	Qaraidah Reds - Emmiria
Most titles	Placeholder
Official website	www.irl.us

The International Rugby League (IRL) is a professional rugby sports league consisting of several dozen clubs, divided equally between the Northern Rugby Conference (WNC) and the Southern Rugby Conference (SRC). The NRC is the home for clubs residing in the northern hemisphere, while the SRC houses southern hemisphere clubs. The IRL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States of Sera and is the most watched sport aside from Baseball, Boxing, and basketball. The IRL is the highest professional level of Rugby in the world and is played in many countries across Iearth. The IRL's 18-week regular season runs from early August to early April, with each club playing 17 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, thirty-two clubs from both conferences (including the two division winners) advance to the playoffs for the World Cup. a single-elimination tournament culminating in the championship game, which is usually held on the third Sunday in April and is played between two teams. The league is headquartered in Ayotola, Unified Sera.

The IRL was originally formed in 1920 as the Seran Professional Rugby Association (SPRA) before renaming itself the International Rugby League to make the sport more attractive to international markets.

History

Before the IRL became what it is today, it began as the Seran Professional Rugby Association in Sera's south-western state of Mwindo. The organization was originally just a loose coalition of clubs between local communities, however as the game became more popular and more clubs began to spring up, the captains of several of the longest-running and established clubs got together on January 3rd, 1920 and laid down the foundation for what will become the Seran Professional Rugby Association.

Parabellum

Initially, the SPRA quickly became the fastest growing sporting organization in the nation as more clubs across the nation joined the organization. This would change when the Seran Secessionist War broke out in November of 1920 bringing the rapid growth and matches to a halt. During the war, several professional rugby players joined the military and left their sporting careers behind to join the war. Many of these rugby players were placed in their own support companies and were tasked with traveling around the various theaters of the war to entertain the combat troops. Though, many of these ex-professional players were placed into combat units and would not survive the end of the war.

Antebellum

After the conclusion of the war, the federal government injected funds into the SPRA to resume operations as it deemed the organization "essential in returning hope to the nation". The SPRA would be the only sports organization to receive such funds under the government's rebuilding programs. These funds went directly into the players, the creation of new and more impressive stadiums, travel expenses, and advertising for the growing number of clubs. Eventually, the SPRA - as a result of government assistance - would become the biggest and most watched sport in Unified Sera.

The "Father" of the SPRA and the IRL Mr. John H. Hughes and the coach of the Ayotola Jaguars

Shortly after the conclusion of the war, the commissioner of the SPRA believed that the current success of the organization domestically was a bubble and that its continued survival was reliant upon the organization going international to keep people interested. As a result, the SPRA - enjoying the wealth and popularity of the time - began to make preparations to take its organization international. It began to incentivize the consolidation domestic teams where possible leading to the creation of one of Sera's most accomplished and longest operating team: the Memphis Iron Gorillas.

In January of 1926 the International Rugby League was formed out of 16 original teams across several nations.

Clubs

The IRL consists of several dozen clubs divided into two conferences: The Northern Conference and the Southern Conference. Each conference is divided into four divisions that can include a number of individual clubs, though general direction from the IRL stipulates that the divisions should have relatively equal amounts of clubs. During the regular season, each club is allowed a maximum of 30 players on its roster; only 22 of these may be active (eligible to play) on game days. That is, each club is allowed to have 15 players on the field with 7 substitutes at any given time.

Each IRL club is granted a franchise, the league's authorization for the club to operate in its home city. This franchise covers 'Home Territory' (the 75 miles surrounding the city limits, or, if the club is within 100 miles of another league city, half the distance between the two cities) and 'Home Marketing Area' (Home Territory plus the rest of the state the club operates in, as well as the area the club operates its training camp in for the duration of the camp). Each IRL member has the exclusive right to host professional Rugby games inside its Home Territory and the exclusive right to advertise, promote, and host events in its Home Marketing Area.

New clubs are generally allowed to be created at any time, however they cannot become active until the end of the current season. Once active, the club can take part in division games during the regular season and can exercise franchise rights enjoyed by already established clubs.

Team Emblem (Optional)	Team Name	Conference	Division Titles	Home Country	Date Joined (IRL)	Head Coach
	Ayotola Jaguars	Southern Conference	11	Unified Sera	August 1st, 1920	Da'Quinton Carr
	Memphis Iron Gorillas	Southern Conference	16	Unified Sera	August 1st, 1926	Latavius Jones
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