National Rugby League

The National Rugby League (NRL) is one of the most popular sporting competitions in Australia and, in recent times, New Zealand, consisting of fifteen teams playing rugby league football against each other.

History of the NRL

1998: Inception

The National Rugby League is the result of a joint venture between two competitions which co-existed in the season of 1997 - the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and Super League.

Related Topics:
1997 - Australian Rugby League - Super League

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The Australian Rugby League competition ran from 1995 to 1997 and was the direct successor to the New South Wales Rugby League competition, which ran from 1908 to 1994. This competition consisted only of teams from metropolitan Sydney until 1982 when teams were added from Brisbane (1988), Canberra (1982), Gold Coast (1988) Illawarra (1982) and Newcastle (1988). With further expansion to Auckand, North Queensland and Perth (all in 1995) the ARL assumed control of the competition.

Related Topics:
1995 - 1997 - New South Wales Rugby League - 1908 - 1994 - Sydney - 1982 - Brisbane - 1988 - Canberra - Gold Coast - Illawarra - Newcastle - Queensland - Perth

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Super League was a competition run by News Corporation in 1997. It included teams from Adelaide, Auckland, Brisbane, Canberra, North Queensland, Sydney and Perth.

Related Topics:
Super League - 1997

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With twenty-two teams playing in two competitions in 1997 crowd attendances and corporate sponsorships were spread very thinly, and many teams found themselves in financial difficulty. On September 23, 1997 the ARL announced that it was forming a new company to control the competition in 1998 and invited Super League clubs to participate. On October 7 Rupert Murdoch annonced that he was confident that there would be a single competition in 1998 and in the following months the National Rugby League, jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited was formed.

Related Topics:
September 23 - 1997 - 1998 - October 7 - Rupert Murdoch

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1999-2002: Rationalisation

One condition of the peace agreement between the ARL and News Limited was that there would be a 14 team competition in 2000. This led to the creation of merged teams (see above) and the removal of the South Sydney Rabbitohs from the competition for the year 2000. This move was highly controversial

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and on 11 November 2001 80,000 marched in protest at their continued exlusion.

Related Topics:
11 November - 2001

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South Sydney challenged the decsion in the Federal Court claiming that the NRL agreement (which all clubs were required to sign) was exclusionary, intended to unfairly exclude South Sydney and breached the Trade Practices Act. Justice Paul Finn ruled that the agreement did not specifically exclude any club and dismissed the Rabbitohs claims for re-instatement into the national competition. Souths appealed this decision and were re-admitted into the competition in 2002.

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2003-2005: Record Popularity

In 2005, the NRL reached record levels of popularity. Crowd average records were broken in 2003, 2004 and 2005, http://stats.rleague.com/rl/crowds/summary.html and from 2004 to 2005 there was a 39% increase in sponsorship, a 41% increase in merchandise royalties and a 12% increase in playing participation. http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16448462%255E23214,00.html

Related Topics:
2003 - 2004 - 2005

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2005: More Legal Action

In 13 September 2005, the Seven Network began proceedings in the Federal Court in Sydney naming 22 parties (including the NRL) in a conspiracy to the shut down of the C7 pay television station. http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/Sevens-footy-legal-battle-to-kick-off/2005/09/09/1125772682492.html C7 had unsuccessfully bid $72,000,000 per annum for the right to broadcast the NRL competition on pay television. After News Limited has re-signed these rights, C7 was left without a major sport to broadcast and subsequently ceased operation in March 2002. It is alleged that News Limited used its position as half-owner of the NRL to secure the rights. Jonathan Sumption, QC representing the Seven Network, has said

Related Topics:
13 September - 2005 - Seven Network - March - 2002

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:It is inconceivable that News would have been able to get away with this if it had not controlled one, half the NRL, two, the leading pay TV broadcaster and three, the largest cable network in Australia. http://www.smh.com.au/news/Business/News-plotter-used-NRL-spot-to-outbid-C7/2005/09/14/1126377368420.html

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The case is being heard by Justice Ron Sackville. The Seven Network is seeking up to $1.1 billion in damages. Sumption also stated that

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:Other alternative remedies (to stop Foxtel illegally acquiring sports) would be to make News and PBL divest Fox Sports or stop them buying AFL or NRL rights in a non competitive environment http://www.theage.com.au/news/Business/Seven-wants-11b-payback-over-C7-demise/2005/09/19/1126981985470.html

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Combined history

Although much structural re-organisation occurred 1995-1998, the NSWRL, ARL, Super League and the NRL are, by convention, considered to be a single continuous competition.

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For example, the Brisbane Broncos have won five titles, two were in the NSWRL, one in Super League, and two in the present day NRL. Each of the these premierships carry an equal status, and do not need to be qualified. Playing records, such as points scored, do not differentiate between the various incarnations of the top level competiton.

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The NRL Trophy itself features a depiction of a famous photo, that of Norm Provan and Arthur Summons after the 1963 NSWRL Grand Final.

Related Topics:
Norm Provan - Arthur Summons

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