Rugby League European Cup
| European Cup | |
|---|---|
Current season or competition:: 2015 European Cup
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| Sport | Rugby league |
| Formerly known as | European Championship European Nations Cup |
| Inaugural season | 1935 |
| Region | Europe (RLEF) |
| Holders |
 Wales (7th Title) |
| Most titles |
 England (14 titles)
|
| Website | rlef.eu.com |
| Related competitions |
European Shield European Bowl Euro-Med Challenge Nordic Cup |
The European Cup (formerly known as the European Championship and European Nations Cup) is a rugby league football tournament for European national teams that was first held in 1935.
Originally, the European Cup had three teams, with England, Wales and France each playing each other once. Unlike the Tri-Nations series, there was no final; the team finishing at the top of the group was deemed the winner. From 1949 to 1956, a fourth Other Nationalities team entered the European Cup.
From 2003 to 2009, the tournament featured six teams, including Ireland and Scotland. Since 2014, the European Cup is contested with four teams and the most recent was held in 2015. It is run by the Rugby League European Federation.
The tournament was initially played annually, with the exception of the years of the Second World War. In 1946–47, the tournament was altered, with each team playing each other twice, at home and away. The 1949–50 season saw a return to playing only once, but a new team, "Other Nationalities", was added. This team consisted of players who were not English, Welsh, or French playing in the British and French leagues: Australian, New Zealand, Scottish, Irish players, and others all played for this new side.
The 1955–56 tournament had no Welsh team, though Welsh players featured for Other Nationalities. The tournament was not played again until 1969–70. It was revived in 1975, with the three-team format of England, Wales and France playing each other team only once being made standard. The tournament was cancelled after 1981, but it was revived under the same format for 1995 and 1996.
The tournament was revamped for 2003, with Scotland, Ireland and Russia all joining. The new structure saw two groups of three, with the winner of each group meeting in a final. This structure was continued for the 2004 tournament.
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