The National Rugby League, through the Australian Rugby League Commission, is advocating for the inclusion of rugby league in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. The focus is on non-contact formats like touch football and potentially rugby league nines, a faster-paced, nine-a-side version of the game.
Discussions about including rugby league in the Olympics began in earnest around mid-2021, coinciding with Brisbane's successful bid to host the 2032 Summer Olympic Games.
On July 21, 2021, the International Rugby League publicly declared its ambition to have rugby league featured in the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, focusing on the code’s Nines and Wheelchair formats.
NRL Makes Olympic Bid
The NRL has officially pitched for inclusion in the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, proposing touch football as a likely format.
Brisbane Games organising committee chair Andrew Liveris confirmed he met this week with NRL powerbrokers Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo: “We’re meeting with all the (sports) federations interested (and) I don’t mind (telling you) I took a meeting with the NRL yesterday.”
Mr Liveris noted the strength of the NRL’s case, citing impressive global viewership and audience growth: “It’s a staggering set of statistics what the NRL is achieving in terms of global viewership and global participation.”
He also referenced the inclusion of flag football at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, suggesting a similar opportunity could exist for rugby league. Still, Liveris reminded all applicants, “Get in the queue – we’re popular and we know it.”
Why not just include the rugby league in the Olympics?
One of the main obstacles preventing rugby league from being included in the Olympic Games is its limited global reach.
Unlike sports that span multiple continents, rugby league is predominantly played in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and parts of the UK, which falls short of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) requirement for broad international participation.
Safety is also a concern - traditional rugby league is a high-contact sport, and the IOC increasingly favours events that are inclusive, youth-oriented, and carry lower injury risks, such as flag football or skateboarding.
Additionally, rugby league’s international governing body, the International Rugby League, is not yet officially recognised by the IOC, a necessary step for Olympic inclusion.
As a result, proponents are focusing on promoting less intense versions like touch football or rugby league nines as more viable Olympic options.