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The Rugby Football League (RFL) has released a video celebrating its players, hoping to attract more sports fans—and showing that it is far more skilful than the credit some give it, especially in (association) football-mad Britain. Slightly dark in tone, the video is an attempt to make rugby league more dramatic—and while it remains masculine, it broadens the sport’s appeal.
   As a top-priority sport identified by Sport England, rugby league is undergoing growth.
   The video features players from all eight teams in the 2012 Stobart Super League’s playoffs, including Huddersfield Giant and England prop Eorl Crabtree. The latest campaign ties in to the RFL’s “superhero” approach, showing the players possess superpowers—and the RFL’s website sees illustrations of the players with a similar, cartoon feel.
   The playoffs see the best eight teams, out of the total of 12 across England and one from France, compete over four weeks. Twenty-seven games have already been played by the teams in the league. One of the eight—Wigan, Warrington, St Helens, Heeds, Catalan, Hull, Huddersfield, and Wakefield—will be the 2012 champion on October 6, when the final game is played.
   Fans are encouraged to hashtag @extraordinaryrugby to tie in with the latest campaign, entitled ‘Rugby League of the Extraordinary’. The League is also running a prize draw on its website, which includes a training session with England. There are tickets to the 2013 Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup Final, the Grand Final and the World Cup Final up for grabs, too, as well as a signed framed artwork of the player of the winner’s choice.


This post has been sponsored by the Rugby Football League.