Clash of Codes

Clash of Codes is a term in sports used to describe a match played between two teams who play different codes of the same sport. Games are usually played with the codes changing at half-time, or across two matches of the difference codes with an aggregate score.

Usually associated with the codes of football, and especially rugby, several games have occurred throughout history.

The first clash of codes match between American football and rugby league was played between Jacksonville Axemen and Jacksonville Knights. The league side Axemen defeated the American football side Knights 38–27.^[1]

In September 1909 the national league and union sides of Australia played a four match test series resulting in two wins a piece for either side. The exact format and rules of the game are unknown. All games were played at the Agricultural Oval in Sydney.

4 September 1909 (Game 1)

Australia RL	29 – 26	Australia RU

8 September 1909 (Game 2)

Australia RL	21 – 34	Australia RU

11 September 1909 (Game 3)

Australia RL	6 – 15	Australia RU

18 September 1909 (Game 4)

Australia RL	8 – 6	Australia RU

The first clash of codes game in the UK between rugby league and rugby union received a lot of media attention and was labelled as The Clash of the Codes. The game was between Bath and Wigan and saw league side Wigan win with an aggregate score of 101–50 across two games.^[2][3]

In January 2003, St. Helens took on Sale Sharks in a single game played at Knowsley Road, which had one half under league rules and the other under union rules. At the time Sale had the been a professional side for almost a decade which helped improve both strength and fitness that was necessary for them to adapt to the constant tackling required in rugby league, as well as being able to call on the services of a number of ex-league players, most notably Jason Robinson, who had played for Wigan in 1996, factors which were thought to have resulted in a much closer game compared to that of Bath vs Wigan. Having built up a 41–0 lead under union rules, St Helens were restricted to only 39 points under league rules.^[4]

27 January 2003

St. Helens	39 – 41	Sale Sharks
Tries: Joynt 1 Maden 1 Newlove 1 Gardner 2 Kirkpatrick 1 Hooper 1 Goals: Long 2	Report	Tries: 1 Cueto 2 Hanley 2 Davies 1 Turner 1 Schofield Goals: 3 Wigglesworth

Knowsley Road, St. Helens Attendance: 12,257 Referee: M. Pearson

St Helens

Sale Sharks

In February 2014, eleven years after the first dual code single game, it was announced that the AJ Bell Stadium would see another fixture, scheduled for 26 August 2014, between the facility's two tenants, Salford Red Devils and Sale Sharks, to raise money for various charities.^[5] However, in July the same year it was subsequently announced that the game was being postponed owing to the difficulties of the two clubs' respective league schedules - the original date was between two important fixtures towards the end of Salford's league season, while Sale had yet to start their own league season.^[6]

In October 2015, Western Suburbs Magpies played Randwick DRUFC in Australia's first Clash of Codes games of domestic teams in what was described as "hybrid rugby". The game was 13-a-side and featured league rules when in the teams own half and union rules when in the opposition half, as well as 60 second transitions. The league side won 47–19, with union points for tries, and league points for conversions, penalties, and drop goals.^[7]

The first Clash of Codes game in England for over a decade will be played on 17 November at Headingley Rugby Stadium featuring legends from the England national rugby league team against legends from the England national rugby union team. The game will be 13-a-side and operate with unlimited tackles in the attacking team's own half but six after halfway, uncontested scrums and line-outs, five points for a try, two for conversion, and two for drop goal. Proceeds from the match will be donated to the Rob Burrow Foundation for Motor Neurone Disease Awareness.^[8]

17 November 2024

England League Legends	33–21	England Union Legends
	[9]

Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds Attendance: 10,044[10]

The teams for the match was announced 12 November:^[11]

League team

Aaron Murphy, Adrian Morley, Anthony Thackeray, Ben Westwood, Bob Beswick, Danny McGuire, Danny Brough, Darrell Griffin, Ewan Dowes, Gareth Ellis, Gary Connolly, Jacques O’Neill, Keith Senior, Kyle Wood, Kylie Leuluai, Luke Ambler, Luke Gale, Matt Diskin, Paul McShane, Ryan Atkins, Scott Murrell, Tom Minns, Wayne Goodwin, Wayne Price

Union team

Alex Waller, Andy Forsyth, Anthony Allen, Billy Twelvetrees, Ethan Waller, Danny Cipriani, Dom Waldouck, Finlay Stewart, Geordan Murphy, Graham Kitchener, Guy Thompson, Joe Simpson, Josh Matavesi, Johne Murphy, Kian Stewart, Kyle Trainer, Lee Dickson, Matt Banahan, Matt Cornwell, Matt Garvey, Michael Holford, Micky Young, Paddy McAllister, Phil Dowson, Richard Hibbard, Tom Cruse, Tommy Bell, Tom Youngs, Tom Wood, Tom Johnson

• International rules football – a hybrid code of football combining elements of Australian rules football and Gaelic football
• List of dual-code rugby internationals – list of rugby footballers who have represented their nation in both league and union