Rugby league has been played in France since 1934. As with
rugby union, it was introduced by the English and the heartland of the game is the south of the country.
During the Second World War, in association with the French rugby union, the sport was banned by the
Vichy government, an act which the sport has struggled to recover from. There has been a recent resurgence of the sport following the admission of
Catalans Dragons to the European
Super League. The game now boasts record numbers of participants, similar in number to rugby league players in New Zealand.