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Australian Rugby League Essay Research Paper This

Australian Rugby League Essay, Research Paper


This report investigates the epic battle


between the Australian Rugby League which has been


around for 87 years and the Super League concept for the


control of Rugby League in Australia. One man, Mr Rupert


Murdoch, is trying to take over and run a rebel Super


League to enhance his power and for financial gain. This


Super League is proposed to run in 1996 with a 10 team


competition as its prospectus. This report reviews the


history of the Australian Rugby League, the battle between


Mr.Murdoch and Mr.Packer, the battle of who controls


pay television, the players future and junior development.


This conflict is mainly based on power, greed and money.


The two protagonist’s are prepared to go to any lengths to


achieve supremacy. I have researched archives,


newspapers, pamphlets and watched television to


accumulate information of this divisive conflict. 2. The


History of the A.R.L. The Australian Rugby League


originated in 1908 which was then known as the N.S.W.


Rugby League. The game of Rugby League was born long


ago and faraway, on the 29th of August 1895 in the stately


George Hotel Huddersfield Yorkshire, England. Originally


15 a side teams were reduced to 13 in 1906 and Rugby


League’s trademark the play the ball was introduced. The


changes large and small laid the foundations for the fast


moving thrilling game that Rugby League has become. On


the evening of August 8 the N.S.W Rugby League was


formed with a secret meeting at Sydney’s Batemans Hotel.


The men driving the new game were: The entrepreneur


James Joseph Giltinan, the great cricketer Victor Trumper,


the influential politician Henry Clammond Hoyle. The


supreme master stroke being the signing of Rugby Unions


champion Herbert Henry Dally Messenger at a fee of 180


pounds. In the summer of 1907-08 more meetings resulting


in the formation of 9 clubs: Glebe, Newtown, South


Sydney, Eastern Suburbs, Western Suburbs, Balmain,


North Sydney, Newcastle which only lasted until 1909,


and Cumberland. However Cumberland had trouble


enticing sufficient players and was forced to amalgamate


with Western Suburbs the following season. Rugby


League’s first season began on Easter Monday 1908 on a


wave of unrivalled enthusiasm. To South Sydney went the


honour of being Rugby Leagues first champions 14-12


victors over Eastern Suburbs in the premiership final. Over


the years more teams have been introduced to make an


expanded competition, to strengthen and promote the game


locally, nationally and at this present time internationally.


The teams that have joined since the inaugural competition


include: 1910 Annandale which folded in 1920. 1920


University which folded in 1937. 1921 St George. 1935


Canterbury. 1947 Manly and Parramatta. 1967 Cronulla


and Penrith. 1982 Canberra and Illawarra. 1983 Newtown


were expelled due to financial problems. 1988 Brisbane,


Gold Coast and Newcastle. During the 1994 Rugby


League season the N.S.W. Rugby League passed a motion


to expand the 16 team competition to a 20 team


competition incorporating a team from Western Australia, 2


more teams from Queensland and a team from New


Zealand. It was also agreed to change the name from the


N.S.W Rugby League to the Australian Rugby League also


known as the A.R.L as a true reflection of what it


represents. The 1995 season promised to be the pinnacle


of the league’s endeavours with the expanded 20 teams


which included 4 new teams namely: Auckland Warriors


from New Zealand. North Queensland Cowboy’s based in


Townsville. South Queensland Crushers located in


Brisbane. Western Reds from the far west Perth. Rugby


League as a truly Australian story is abound with wonderful


characters such as – Messenger, Horder, Stehr, Churchill,


Gasnier, Raper, Reddy, Fulton, Lewis, Sterling. The


Immortals are recognised as Rugby League’s finest


post-war exponents, Clive Churchill, Reg Gasnier, John


Raper and Bob Fulton had a creative excellence that


comes along all to rarely. 3. The Conflict Between The


A.R.L and Super League. 1995 provided the League with


so much optimism, to realise their vision of a 20 team


competition and watch it come to fruition. On the 1st April


1995 the unsuspecting Australian Rugby League was out


manoeuvred in a coup when the Super League announced


its intention to form a rebel super league. This super league


was a breakaway league with its own constitution and


vision statement. The Super League had enlisted high


profile rugby league players to endorse and persuade


current players to sign with the rebel league without the


knowledge of the A.R.L The rebel league backed by Mr


Rupert Murdoch and the News Ltd. Corporation made


huge financial offers as an inducement for players to sign to


play in their competition. The A.R.L then counter attacked


signing up loyal A.R.L players with the financial backing of


Mr Kerry Packer and Optus Vision. This conflict was no


longer just about Rugby League, the intervention of these


two omnipotent individuals brought a new dimension, the


struggle for power and total dominance for the pay


television broadcasting rights. 4. Mr Rupert Murdoch verus


Mr Kerry Packer. 4.1 Murdoch, Rupert (1931- )


Australian-born media magnate, who boosted the


circulation of many of his newspapers by creating a tabloid


mix of sex, crime, and sports stories topped with giant


sensationalised headlines. He was born in Melbourne,


Australia, and educated at Oxford University. He became a


United States citizen in 1985. Murdoch returned to


Australia in 1954 and took charge of the Adelaide News


(sold in 1987 and closed in 1992), a marginally profitable


afternoon daily paper. Applying his Daily Express


experience, he created the giant sensationalised headlines


that were to become his trademark, and the paper’s


readership soared. Murdoch started building his media


empire with the purchase of a Perth Sunday newspaper in


1956, and in 1960 he entered the Sydney market by


acquiring the Sydney Daily and Sunday Mirror. His


hard-sell promotions and lurid stories boosted the


circulation’s of both papers. In 1964 Murdoch founded


Australia’s first national newspaper, the Australian, which


featured national and international news, investigative


reporting, and local issues. By 1968 his Australian empire


of newspapers, magazines, and broadcasting stations was


worth an estimated $50 million. Murdoch then bought


control of the Sunday News of the World, a sensationalist


London paper aimed at the working classes, and the


foundering London daily Sun, a stodgy liberal paper.


Circulation soared, and he went on to purchase other


British newspapers and broadcasting interests. In 1981 he


acquired the renowned London Times and Sunday Times.


His holdings expanded to include Fox Broadcasting, for


which he assumed the chairman and chief executive roles in


1992, and TV Guide (acquired in 1988). By 1989


Murdoch’s empire included newspapers, television stations,


a movie studio, publishing houses, magazines, and large


shares in news services. But by 1991 his Australia-based


News Corp. had also accumulated immense debts, which


resulted in his selling most of his American magazine


holdings. 4.2 Packer Kerry (1937- ) The family controlled


media group known as Australian Consolidated Press Ltd.


He controls of the media empire that includes A.C.P and


Channel 9 and has interests in newspapers, sub and


provincial, Sydney and Melbourne television radio stations


in Victoria and Western Australia, land development,


Leisure Resorts and television and film productions. In


1977 Mr Kerry Packer offered top cricketers lucrative


contracts to play in teams for his World Series Cricket. 5.


The Vision of the Super League. 5.1 Selected clubs were


presented on 6th February 1995 with a 36 page proposal


and slide presentation of Super League’s vision of the


game, not only in Australia but throughout the world. The


proposal addressed all the problems currently experienced


in the game by players and clubs and provided an exciting


plan to guarantee that the super league competition would


be the best rugby league competition in the world. The


Super League would be played in the initial years in the


strong holds of Australia, England and New Zealand


culminating with a World Series that will be played in


various venues and televised throughout the world. 5.2 Ten


teams comprised of the: Auckland, Broncos, Bulldogs,


Canberra, Newcastle Mariners, Penrith Panthers, Perth


Reds, Sharks, Townsville and another team yet to be


announced, the tip is a Sydney North Shore consortium.


Melbourne and Adelaide will increase the number of teams


to 12 within 2 years. The harsh reality is that clubs cannot


compete, especially in the current chaotic climate, without a


substantial revenue base. Under Super League clubs are


guaranteed that they will receive at least $4.5 Million


annually, the clubs also have enormous opportunities to


receive major sponsorship involvement with companies


whose products extend throughout the world. Clubs not


joining the super league would miss out on the opportunity


to participate in the best competition in the world and the


financial security that goes with that opportunity. Super


league suggest that only the clubs that join will be assured


of there survival and there participation as a strong


competitive team. 5.3 Super League assure that 3 out of


the 5 games played each week will be free to air whilst the


other 2 will be available on pay television. Spectators and


supporters will be well taken care of with more football


games to watch at the game or on pay television locally,


nationally and internationally. Super League also promise to


have better facilities and venues for spectators to enjoy. 5.4


The players themselves although thrown into turmoil have


emerged with larger player payments and enormous


sign-on fees as the A.R.L and Super League contest for


their signatures. The tactics applied by both camps were


nothing short of tenacious, each reporting who they had


signed as a propaganda exercise. 5.5 The development of


the game of junior league level is the big winner under


Super League. Under the agreement clubs will be required


to spend $500000 per year on junior development. The


Super League is also in the course of preparing a major


junior league development program under which it will


develop the game through out the game this will be


separately funded by Super League. Some of the actual


Super League concepts have not been made public as yet,


the A.R.L. using innuendo as a means of scoring points. 6.


The Outcome. In 1995 it was decided by the High Court


that super league would be able to start its competition in


March of 96, But later a win by the A.R.L made it unlikely


that Super League would be able to start untill the year


2000. This win was to be short lived as the High Court


dismissed the A.R.L and made it possible for Super


League to start its competition in 1997. 7. Conclusion and


Recommendations. In conclusion this epic battle is far from


over as both camps vie for the monopolistic control of


Rugby League both as a sport and a valuable marketable


commodity. Mr Packer and Mr Murdoch are both used to


winning and getting what they want. The A.R.L. believe


Rugby League can not be owned by anyone, it is the


peoples game whereas Super League believe they have the


right to exploit Rugby League for the good of the game as


there reason. The A.R.L. spent 87 years building this great


Australian sporting icon which encompasses cameraderie


and mateship, national pride, humour and courage, bravery


and skill, spectacular feats of athleticism and great drama.


The traditions have been established the legacy should


remain. Can Rugby League be bought or sold out ? In my


opinion the values of life are not for sale at any price.


Rugby League has evolved over the years, nurtured into the


dynamic game as it is today. What right does anyone have


to take-over and exploit rugby league for their own


financial benefit. Some of the Super League concepts have


merit but I believe the A.R.L. should run Rugby League


"The Greatest Game of All". 8. References. Newspapers:-


The Newcastle Herald. The Sun-Herald. The Sunday


Telegraph. The Telegraph. Books and Magazines:- The


Kangaroos Ian Heads. The Rebels of Rugby Bob Power.


Action ‘85 Gary Lester. Concise Australian Encyclopaedia


Angus and Robertson Publisher. Green and Gold Heroes


Rugby League Week Publisher. Rugby League Week


Magazines. Summary. This report investigates the epic


battle between the Australian Rugby League and the Super


League concept for the control of Rugby League in


Australia. This report reviews the history of the Australian


Rugby League, the battle between Mr.Murdoch and


Mr.Packer, the battle of who controls pay television, the


players future and junior development. This conflict is


mainly based on power, greed and money. The main


aspects included in this report are the topics surrounding


the controversial Super League. I explore the history of the


A.R.L. as opposed to the rebel league’s vision, the


confrontation of the A.R.L. and Super League and some


background information on the two protagonists Mr Rupert


Murdoch and Mr Kerry Packer. In conclusion the


traditions and loyalties established by the A.R.L. into the


game as we know it today are on the brink of being


destroyed because of another mans vision for power and


money. Table of Contents. Summary 1.Introduction. 2.The


History of the A.R.L. 3.The Conflict between the A.R.L.


and Super League. 4.Mr Rupert Murdoch verus Mr Kerry


Packer. 4.1 Murdoch Rupert. 4.2 Packer Kerry. 5.The


Vision of the Super League. 5.1 The Clubs. 5.2 The


Teams. 5.3 Pay Television Rights. 5.4 The Players. 5.5


Junior Development. 6.The Outcome. 7.Conclusion and


Recommendations. 8.References.

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