The New South Wales Country Rugby Union (NSWCRU) is the governing body for rugby union in most of the non-metropolitan areas of New South Wales, Australia. Rugby union has a long history in the state, dating back to the 1860s, but the NSWCRU as a formal body was founded in 1947. The NSWCRU is affiliated with the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) and administers the game across a vast geographic area. It is divided into multiple zones, which include over 100 clubs and thousands of players. These zones, in turn, have their own tiered competitions. Many players from country NSW have gone on to represent the state (the NSW Waratahs) and Australia (the Wallabies). The history of country rugby is also marked by significant matches against touring international teams. For example, international sides like the New Zealand All Blacks and the South African Springboks have played matches against country representative teams in regional towns.