<P> Clubs from England and France compete in Europe's only fully professional league, the Super League, as well as the Challenge Cup competition . </P> <P> In addition to this, the game is also played semi-professionally and at amateur levels in Russia, Serbia, Italy, Wales, Scotland and Ireland . </P> <P> Cricket is a popular summer sport in the United Kingdom and has been exported to other parts of the former British Empire . Cricket has its origins in south east Britain . It is popular throughout England and Wales, and parts of the Netherlands . Cricket is also popular in other areas and also played in northwest Europe . It is however very popular worldwide, especially in southern Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Indian subcontinent . </P> <P> The England cricket team is the only European team with Test status . Their main rival is Australia, and they play each other in The Ashes series . England has never won the Cricket World Cup or the ICC Champions Trophy, despite multiple appearances at the final . However, the team has won the ICC World Twenty20 in 2010 . </P>

In the nineteenth century team sports typically were more popular in britain than in germany