I have always found it funny that we consider the 1895 schism in Northern England as the birthplace of Rugby League. While that body would go on to become the RFL, the schism itself was no different to the CRL breaking away from the NSWRL, the BRL leaving the QRL or Super League taking on the ARL; a rebel organisation playing the same sport as its predecesor. It wasnt until 1906 that the NRFU introduced a set of rules that would set it apart from the RFU.My question is:Its a question largely ignored in RL history. The 1906 meeting in the George Hotel doesnt credit anyone for the innovations and i think most people dont even know that it took more than a decade for the NRFU to develop independent rules.However, i would say that these new rules is a more important point in RL history than a pay dispute by Northern clubs. The creation of these new rules was the creation of Rugby League. That's the true reason why RL is the most Canadian game not known to Canadians before the Toronto Wolfpack came into being.My theory had always been that the Northern Union had taken on a selection of the Walter Camp innovations in American Football (the PlayTheBall/snap, fewer players, emphasis on Tries/Touchdowns and ball-movement), but i could never find evidence to support this; American Football never toured in Europe. What I never considered was that there may have been a middleman to carry the rules across the Atlantic. Thats where Canada comes in...In 1903, the Canadian RFU introduced the Burnside Rules (their own version of the Walter Camp rules):In the same year (1902-03), the CRFU began a quickly forgotten tour of Britain, playing a total of 23 games across the country. While there isnt much information on the tour, one notable inclusion was a match played in St Helens.3 years after this match, the NRFU introduced rules almost identical to the Burnside rules:- From 15 to 13 players (CRFU played with 12)- Unchallenged PlayTheBall with you heel (identical, except CRFU called it a SnapBack)- From unlimited to maximum 3 players in frontline of scrum (CRFU went from 8 to 6 on scrimmage)(RL wouldnt introduce limited tackles until the 1960 and by then the defence stood 10m back, explaining why RL never took on the "1st and 10" rules of American/Canadian Football)It strains credulity to think that the CRFU would travel to England and face NU team as their own rule innovations are being introduce, that they would never mention these new rules despite the NU making clear that they wanted new rules to make the game more entertaining and that the NRUF would then just happen to take on almost identical innovations only 3 years later.The obvious conclusion is that the innovations that make Rugby League unique were in fact founded in North America and imported by the Canadians to England just before the All Gold tour took the rules back to Australia/NZ.So, to answer the question: Im fairly sure Rugby League started in Canada....