response: Rugby is very popular in Northern England.
original_response: Rugby is very popular in England.
history: It's almost the best time of year. the first kickoff of American Football season. And to just think; the first match of American football was played on November 6, 1869! I'm sure it's a complete different game then it is today. The year the Detroit Lions will win the super bowl. The first match was between Rutgers and Princeton. Strange now those are college teams and not NFL They were college teams then too. Any clue when the NFL started? I'm not sure. I do know that the sport evolved from rugby and association football. I can see the similarities. I love rugby. I wish it was more popular here.
knowledge: Rugby league is played across England but is most popular in Northern England, especially Yorkshire and Lancashire where the game originated.