Rugby league is played across England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, but it's heartland in the North of England is where the sport is most popular, and is where the majority of professional clubs are based. The sport was first established in the George Hotel, Huddersfield, where 22 clubs from the Rugby Football Union split to form the Northern Rugby Football Union. Rugby league in the British Isles is discussed in the following articles, corresponding to the separate organisations governing the sport: