National Rugby League returns, live!

NRL returns this weekend with the 2022 season to air exclusively live on ESPN across Africa.

The 2022 National Rugby League promises to be a thrilling season of action-packed rugby from down under.

Johannesburg, 11 March 2022: Covid-19 meant that the 2021 NRL season got played in a bubble. This year, Australian rugby clubs will return to their home grounds for the 2022 season of the National Rugby League (NRL), which kicks off this weekend. This much anticipated season of Australia’s top-level domestic men’s rugby league will air to audiences across the African continent. Live on ESPN2 (channel 249), every weekend from Friday 11 March 2021, bringing the best action from the Australian rugby league.

The season starts with the Brisbane Broncos taking on the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday 11 March at 11:05 AM (CAT). The Wests Tigers face Melbourne Storm on Saturday 12 March at 10:35 AM (CAT). On Sunday 13 March, North Queensland Cowboys will go head to head with Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. 

Reigning champs Penrith Panthers, who won their third premiership in the 2021 season, will be keen to defend their title. South Sydney Rabbitohs, who boast the most NRL premierships in the league (21), will stop at nothing to claim another title.

The action on the field should be intense, with matches broadcast every weekend on ESPN 2, right through to the NRL Grand Final 2022. The final will take place on Sunday, 2 October, at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane.

Governed by the Australian Rugby League Commission, the NRL is Australia’s most popular sport with a rich history dating back to its creation in 1908. At its heart, the NRL encourages community-driven sport, played by thousands of people across Australia, especially in country areas. Additionally, many players do volunteer work to ensure that boys and girls, teenagers and adults can play the sport they love each weekend.

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