Footy’s ‘code wars’ are back, but which is actually the No. 1 Australian sport: the NRL or AFL?

NRL Photos, Matt Turner/AAP, Wikimedia, The Conversation, CC BY

Every now and then, so-called “code wars” erupt between the major Australia winter football codes: the National Rugby League (NRL) and the Australian Football League (AFL).

This animosity likely stems from a phenomenon known as “the Barassi Line”, a cultural and geographical divide based on football preference which runs from Eden, NSW, through Canberra and up to Arnhem Land.