| Highest governing body | Rugby League International Federation |
|---|---|
| First played | 1961, Australia |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | Full |
| Team members | 12 (7 on field + 5 interchange) |
| Mixed-sex | Single |
| Type | Outdoor |
| Equipment | Football |
| Venue | Rugby league playing field |
Rugby league sevens (or simply sevens) is a seven-a-side derivative of rugby league football, which is usually a thirteen-a-side sport. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some rule changes and shorter games. Sevens is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be completed in a day or over a single weekend.
As well as being played by club sides, rugby league sevens is particularly popular with social teams, formed in the workplace or from the patrons of a public house for example, as it is often difficult in these places to form a full squad of 13 players and four substitutes of regular players. Some tournaments prefer to play rugby league nines (rugby league with nine players on each side) to distinguish it from rugby union sevens.