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. Corporat

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