THE RL1908 BLOG
News, Reviews & Opinion - Sean Fagan - RL1908.com
| AUSTRALIA'S FIRST PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL CODE |
Rugby league came to Australia a century ago – on the 8th August 1907. In a smoke-filled saloon at Bateman’s Crystal Hotel in downtown Sydney, the NSWRL was formed, and with it, the birth of rugby league – Australia’s first professional football code.
Prior to that founding moment, rugby football had been controlled in Australia by the NSWRU and QRU – both bodies were affiliated to the RFU in England, and (and at least publicly) upheld the principles of amateurism.
The rugby communities of NSW and Queensland were well aware of the events that had transpired in the north of England in 1895, which gave birth to the sport of rugby league at The George Hotel.
They knew there was an alternative to putting up with the doctrines of amateurism, and there was general recognition that one day soon professional football of some form would come to Australia’s biggest cities – the only argument was when would it happen, not if.
Discontent amongst footballers in Australia over their measly treatment by the rugby union authorities had been building in the decade that preceded the formation of the NSWRL and, shortly afterwards, the QRL.
Preferring to hold their ties to the RFU, the NSWRU and QRU refused outright to increase the paltry financial benefits to their footballers (compensation for time off work caused by football injuries, and allowances to cover their expenses while on tour).
As many of the NSW team members pointed out, the 3 shillings per day allowance while away in Brisbane was used up simply by sending out their shirts to be laundered. Many of the men were working class, and had to draw on their own money for something as modest as meeting their obligations in a “shout” for a round of drinks at the pub.
A sudden rise in the popularity of rugby union in 1906 and 1907 – brought about by the arrival of Dally Messenger – saw tens of thousands of extra pounds flowing into the coffers of the rugby union bodies.
With news that a New Zealand “professional All Blacks” team (disparagingly dubbed by the Auckland press as “All Golds” for their supposed love of money) were about to sail for England to play rugby league, the notion of forming a rebel league began in earnest.
Led by entrepreneur James Giltinan and cricketer Victor Trumper, secret negotiations were opened with Albert Baskerville to bring his “All Golds” team to Sydney for a series of three matches to kick-start the finances of the NSWRL.
After Dally Messenger secretly switched his allegiance to the rebel movement, momentum towards the formation of the NSWRL rapidly grew.
Publicly denounced in the press by the rugby union authorities and newspaper editors as being “the serpent of professionalism”, the NSWRL was predicted to be “nothing but a nine-day wonder”.
Despite the threats, and the growth pains of any new organisation, within just three seasons rugby league had gained the ascendancy in Sydney, Brisbane and Newcastle over rugby union.
No doubt the founding fathers of the so-called “nine-day wonder” would marvel at the century of rugby league that has followed.
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