The Ashes series is a best-of-three series of test matches between Australia and England national rugby league football teams.
After a hiatus of over 20 years, the Ashes series was revived in 2025. The series will continue as a best-of-three test match series between Australia and England.
Origin
The term "Ashes" originated in cricket, with several other sporting events adopting the concept, and by the beginning of the 20th century it was an "accepted principle" that a test series had to have at least three matches to be a true test of which side was the best, leading to the modern day best of five in cricket and best of three in rugby league. For a brief period, the games were known as "Winter Ashes" and "Summer Ashes" reflecting the time of year the two sport's were traditionally play. Before Australia and Great Britain began contesting the Ashes in rugby league, Australia also contested Ashes in rugby union against New Zealand until it was placed by the Bledisloe Cup in 1931. The ARL initially agreed to the proposal but later, facing hostility from former Ashes players and fans who thought the proposals devalued the Ashes, the two governing bodies decided not to proceed.
In 2016, newly appointed Australian team coach Mal Meninga, who as a player was selected to a record 4 Kangaroo Tours (the last two as captain) and played in a record 6 Ashes series (1982, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1992 and 1994 - playing a record 17 Ashes tests, only missing 1988 through injury), publicly advocated for a return of the Kangaroo Tours which would see The Ashes revived in 2020. The proposed 2020 series was cancelled in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was suggested that the series may instead be played in 2022;
Revival: Australia vs England
thumb|'s [[Nathan Cleary kicking off first test of the modern Ashes era at Wembley Stadium in 2025]]
On 3 August 2023, the revival of The Ashes was announced by International Rugby League as part of their new 7-year international calendar and long-term strategy for growth of the international game. The revamped competition was also scheduled to feature a women's test series for the first time, with the first edition to take place in 2025 (though this was later cancelled).
On 26 March 2025, the inaugural edition of the modern Ashes series confirmed by the Rugby Football League, with matches held at Wembley Stadium, Bramley-Moore Dock Stadium, and Headingley, with all three matches shown on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Ahead of the 2025 event, the RFL and ARLC announced a new player of the series award, the Fulton-Reilly award, named after Ashes legends Bob Fulton and Mal Reilly. The inaugural awarded was won by Cameron Munster.
The 2025 Ashes was spectated by 132,418 proving to be one of the most popular international rugby league events in recent times in the United Kingdom. The series also ranked third in the most spectated Ashes series held in the UK after 1990 and 1994. Australia won the series 3–0, with the next Ashes to be played in 2028.
Trophy
In 1928, the City Tattersalls Club in Sydney, Australia donated a trophy to be the prize, the "Ashes Cup".
The Cup's inscription reads: The trophy had been on display at a function in Ilkley, Yorkshire and afterwards was returned to the manager of the Griffin Hotel, Leeds - where the English Rugby League management met - but this was not made clear to the English authorities and instead in laid overlooked in a box for 12 years.
Results
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="font-size:95%"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Winner
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Runners-up
! scope="col" | Host country
|-
| 1908–09
| (1)
| 2–0<br/>(1 tied)
|
|
|-
| 1910
| (2)
| 2–0
| Australasia
|
|-
| 1911–12
| Australasia(1)
| 2–0<br/>(1 tied)
|
|
|-
| 1914
| (3)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1920
| (2)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1921–22
| (4)
| 2–1
| Australasia
|
|-
| 1924
| (5)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1928
| (6)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1929–30
| (7)
| 2–1<br/>(1 tied)
|
|
|-
| 1932
| (8)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1933
| (9)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1936
| (10)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1937
| (11)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1946
| (12)
| 2–0<br/>(1 tied)
|
|
|-
| 1948
| (13)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1950
| (3)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1952
| (14)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1954
| (4)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1956
| (15)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1958
| (16)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1959
| (17)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1962
| (18)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1963
| (5)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1966
| (6)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1967
| (7)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1970
| (19)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1973
| (8)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1974
| (9)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1978
| (10)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1979
| (11)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1982
| (12)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1984
| (13)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1986
| (14)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 1988
| (15)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1990
| (16)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1992
| (17)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 1994
| (18)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 2001
| (19)
| 2–1
|
|
|-
| 2003
| (20)
| 3–0
|
|
|-
| 2020
| colspan="3" | Series cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic