Rugby League World & Open Rugby – The First 400 Covers

Rugby League World Magazine published its 400th issue on 11th July 2014.  To celebrate this landmark occasion we gathered together for the first time in one place every single front cover since the mag began life as Open Rugby in May 1976.

Scroll down the page to view the gallery and click on a cover to view the enlarged image.

Click here for the latest information about Rugby League World

(We’d like to thank the founder of Open Rugby, Harry Edgar, now publisher of ‘Rugby League Journal’ for permission to reproduce the covers of issues 1 to 208 as part of this feature).

#1 May 1976 – Where it all began. First issue edited & published by Harry Edgar

#2 July 1976

#3 Sept 1976

#4 Nov 1976

#5 Jan/Feb 1977

#6 Mar/Apr 1977

#7 May 1977

#8 Aug 1977

#9 Oct 1977

#10 Dec 1977

#11 Feb 1978

#12 Apr 1978

#13 Jun 1978 – First use of colour

#14 Aug 1978

#15 Oct 1978

#16 Dec 1978

#17 Feb 1979

#18 Mar 1979 (Special)

#19 Apr 1979

#20 Sept 1979 – First ‘glossy’ cover

#21 Nov 1979

#22 Jan/Feb 1980

#23 Mar 1980

#24 May 1980 – First full colour photo cover

#25 Sept 1980 – Goes monthly ‘in-season’

#26 Oct 1980

#27 Nov 1980

#28 Dec 1980

#29 Jan 1981

#30 Feb 1981

#31 Mar 1981

#32 Apr 1981

#33 May 1981

#34 Summer Special 1981

#35 Sept 1981

#36 Oct 1981

#37 Nov 1981

#38 Dec 1981

#39 Jan 1982

#40 Feb 1982

#41 Mar 1982

#42 Apr 1982

#43 May 1982

#44 Summer 1982

#45 Sept 1982

#46 Oct 1982

#47 Nov 1982

#48 Dec 1982

#49 Jan 1983

#50 Feb 1983

#51 Mar 1983

#52 Apr 1983

#53 May 1983

#54 Summer 1983

#55 Sept 1983

#56 Oct 1983

#57 Nov 1983

#58 Dec 1983

#59 Jan 1984

#60 Feb 1984

#61 Mar 1984

#62 Apr 1984

#63 May 1984

#64 Jun 1984

#65 Jul 1984

#66 Aug 1984

#67 Sept 1984

#68 Oct 1984

#69 Nov 1984

#70 Dec 1984

#71 Jan 1985

#72 Feb 1985

#73 Mar 1985

#74 Apr 1985

#75 May 1985

#76 Summer 1985

#77 Sept 1985

#78 Oct 1985

#79 Nov 1985

#80 Dec 1985

#81 Jan 1986

#82 Feb 1986

#83 Mar 1986

#84 Apr 1986

#85 May 1986

#86 Summer 1986

#87 Sept 1986

#88 Oct 1986

#89 Nov 1986

#90 Dec 1986

#91 Jan 1987

#92 Feb 1987

#93 Mar 1987

#94 Apr 1987

#95 May 1987

#96 Jun 1987

#97 Sept 1987

#98 Oct 1987

#99 Nov 1987

#100 Dec 1987

#101 Jan 1988

#102 Feb 1988

#103 Mar 1988

#104 Apr 1988

#105 May 1988

#106 Jun 1988

#107 Sept 1988

#108 Oct 1988

#109 Nov 1988

#110 Dec 1988

#111 Jan 1989

#112 Feb 1989

#113 Mar 1989

#114 Apr 1989

#115 May 1989

#116 Jun 1989

#117 Sept 1989

#118 Oct 1989

#119 Nov 1989

#120 Dec 1989

#121 Jan 1990

#122 Feb 1990

#123 Mar 1990

#124 Apr 1990

#125 May 1990

#126 Jun 1990

#127 Sept 1990

#128 Oct 1990

#129 Nov 1990

#130 Dec 1990

#131 Jan 1991

#132 Feb 1991

#133 Mar 1991

#134 Apr 1991

#135 May 1991

#136 Jun/Jul 1991

#137 Sept 1991

#138 Oct 1991

#139 Nov 1991

#140 Dec 1991

#141 Jan 1992

#142 Feb 1992

#143 Mar 1992

#144 Apr 1992

#145 May 1992

#146 Jun/Jul 1992

#147 Sept 1992

#148 Oct 1992

#149 Nov 1992

#150 Dec 1992

#151 Jan 1993

#152 Feb 1993

#153 Mar 1993

#154 Apr 1993

#155 May 1993

#156 Jun/Jul 1993

#157 Sept 1993

#158 Oct 1993

#159 Nov 1993

#160 Dec 1993

#161 Jan 1994

#162 Feb 1994

#163 Mar 1994

#164 Apr 1994

#165 May 1994

#166 Summer 1994

#167 Sept 1994

#168 Oct 1994

#169 Nov 1994

#170 Dec 1994

#171 Jan 1995

#172 Feb 1995

#173 Mar 1995

#174 Apr 1995

#175 May 1995

#176 Jun/Jul 1995

#177 Sept 1995

#178 Oct 1995

#179 Nov 1995

#180 Dec 1995

#181 Jan 1996

#182 Feb 1996

#183 Mar 1996

#184 Apr 1996

#185 May 1996

#186 Jun 1996

#187 Jul 1996

#188 Aug 1996

#189 Sept 1996

#190 Oct 1996

#191 Nov 1996

#192 Dec 1996/Jan 1997

#193 Feb 1997

#194 Mar 1997

#195 Apr 1997

#196 May 1997

#197 Jun 1997

#198 Jul 1997

#199 Aug 1997

#200 Sept 1997

#201 Oct 1997

#202 Nov 1997

#203 Dec 1997/Jan 1998

#204 Mar 1998

#205 Apr 1998

#206 May 1998

#207 Jun 1998

#208 Jul 1998 – Last issue edited & published by Harry Edgar

#209 Aug 1998 – First issue published by League Publications Ltd & edited by Graham Clay

#210 Sept 1998

#211 Oct 1998

#212 Nov 1998

#213 Dec 1998

#214 Jan 1999 – Regular all year round publishing begins

#215 Feb 1999 – Last issue published as ‘Open Rugby’

#216 Mar 1999 – First issue published as ‘Rugby League World’

#217 Apr 1999

#218 May 1999

#219 Jun 1999

#220 Jul 1999

#221 Aug 1999

#222 Sept 1999

#223 Oct 1999

#224 Nov 1999

#225 Dec 1999

#226 Jan 2000

#227 Feb 2000

#228 Mar 2000

#229 Apr 2000

#230 May 2000

#231 Jun 2000

#232 Jul 2000

#233 Aug 2000

#234 Sept 2000

#235 Oct 2000

#236 Nov 2000

#237 Dec 2000

#238 Jan 2001

#239 Feb 2001

#240 Mar 2001

#241 Apr 2001

#242 May 2001

#243 Jun 2001

#244 Jul 2001

#245 Aug 2001

#246 Sept 2001

#247 Oct 2001

#248 Nov 2001

#249 Dec 2001

#250 Jan 2002

#251 Feb 2002 – Last issue edited by Graham Clay

#252 Mar 2002 – First issue edited by Tony Hannan

#253 Apr 2002

#254 May 2002

#255 Jun 2002

#256 Jul 2002

#257 Aug 2002

#258 Sept 2002

#259 Oct 2002

#260 Nov 2002

#261 Dec 2002

#262 Jan 2003

#263 Feb 2003

#264 Mar 2003

#265 Apr 2003

#266 May 2003

#267 Jun 2003

#268 Jul 2003

#269 Aug 2003

#270 Sept 2003

#271 Oct 2003

#272 Nov 2003

#273 Dec 2003

#274 Jan 2004

#275 Feb 2004

#276 Mar 2004 – Last issue edited by Tony Hannan

#277 Apr 2004 – First issue edited by Tim Butcher

#278 May 2004

#279 Jun 2004

#280 Jul 2004

#281 Aug 2004

#282 Sept 2004

#283 Oct 2004

#284 Nov 2004

#285 Dec 2004

#286 Jan 2005

#287 Feb 2005

#288 Mar 2005

#289 Apr 2005

#290 May 2005

#291 Jun 2005

#292 Jul 2005

#293 Aug 2005

#294 Sept 2005

#295 Oct 2005

#296 Nov 2005

#297 Dec 2005

#298 Jan 2006

#299 Feb 2006

#300 Mar 2006

#301 Apr 2006

#302 May 2006

#303 Jun 2006

#304 Jul 2006

#305 Aug 2006

#306 Sept 2006

#307 Oct 2006

#308 Nov 2006

#309 Dec 2006

#310 Jan 2007

#311 Feb 2007

#312 Mar 2007 – Last issue edited by Tim Butcher

#313 Apr 2007 – First issue edited by Richard de la Riviere

#314 May 2007

#315 Jun 2007

#316 Jul 2007

#317 (Landscape) Aug 2007

#317 (Front) Aug 2007

#318 Sept 2007

#319 Oct 2007

#320 Nov 2007

#321 Dec 2007

#322 Jan 2008

#323 Feb 2008

#324 Mar 2008

#325 Apr 2008

#326 May 2008

#327 Jun 2008

#328 Jul 2008

#329 (Landscape) Aug 2008

#329 (Front) Aug 2008

#330 Sept 2008

#331 Oct 2008

#332 Nov 2008

#333 Dec 2008/Jan 2009

#334 Feb 2009

#335 Mar 2009

#336 Apr 2009

#337 May 2009

#338 Jun 2009

#339 (Lancashire Edition) Jul 2009 – Trial use of multiple covers

#339 (Yorkshire Edition) Jul 2009 – Trial use of multiple covers

#340 (Lancashire Edition) Aug 2009 – Trial use of multiple covers

#340 (Yorkshire Edition) Aug 2009 – Trial use of multiple covers

#341 (Gatefold) Sept 2009

#342 Oct 2009

#343 Nov 2009

#344 Dec 2009

#345 Jan 2010

#346 Feb 2010 – Last issue edited by Richard de la Riviere

#347 Mar 2010 – First issue edited by John Drake

#348 Apr 2010

#349 May 2010

#350 Jun 2010

#351 Jul 2010

#352 Aug 2010

#353 Sept 2010

#354 Oct 2010

#355 Nov 2010

#356 Dec 2010

#357 Jan 2011

#358 Feb 2011

#359 Mar 2011

#360 Apr 2011

#361 May 2011

#362 Jun 2011

#363 Jul 2011

#364 Aug 2011

#365 Sept 2011

#366 Oct 2011

#367 Nov 2011

#368 Dec 2011

#369 Jan 2012

#370 Feb 2012

#371 Mar 2012

#372 Apr 2012

#373 May 2012

#374 Jun 2012

#375 Jul 2012

#376 Aug 2012

#377 Sept 2012

#378 Oct 2012

#379 Nov 2012

#380 Dec 2012

#381 Jan 2013

#382 Feb 2013

#383 Mar 2013

#384 Apr 2013

#385 May 2013

#386 Jun 2013 – Last issue edited by John Drake

#387 Jul 2013 – First issue edited by Gareth Walker

#388 Aug 2013

#389 Sept 2013

#390 Oct 2013

#391 Nov 2013

#392 Dec 2013

#393 Jan 2014

#394 Feb 2014

#395 Mar 2014

#396 Apr 2014

#397 May 2014

#398 Jun 2014

#399 Jul 2014

#400 Aug 2014