When my father arrived in Australia, South Sydney had just won a premiership. They may have been the pride of the league but for the next four decades, they were also its very real joke.
They then joined the modern world, finally won a premiership for their long-suffering fans and are now the epitome of professional sports.
Times change, don’t they?
In 1929, Australia’s foundation rugby league club Glebe, the first to register itself and join the new sport, was expelled from the professional competition.
The all time winning percentage of the Dirty Reds has since been exceeded by only five other teams, one of them being new-age, NRL foundation club, the Melbourne Storm.
Times change, don’t they?
For over thirty years the Australian Kangaroos ruled the rugby league universe. Challengers to the throne never appeared. Until New Zealand started winning. Now, the Kiwis are only few more Test victories away from relegating Australia to its first ever second place world rankings.
Times change, don’t they?
For one hundred and seven years, the Bradford Bulls have been involved in top flight rugby league in the UK. The club has the oldest rugby league roots in the world with a direct connection to Bradford FC who were established in 1863. The Bulls have won a slew of professional Super League, Challenge Cup and World Club titles. They are now languishing in the lower tiers after going into administration.
Times change, don’t they?
Samoa is now ranked number four in the world. France, who invented and then challenged for the first ever rugby league World Cup, are not. Lebanon, a country that did not even exist when the Northern Union was formed are now competing for a World Cup berth. So too are Serbia, Jamaica and Canada.
Times change, don’t they?
As the world continues to get smaller, the boundaries of rugby league will continue to expand. European-based Super League and Australasian-based NRL clubs will contend for international dollars as they challenge each other in cross-country tournaments amidst a changing post-suburban world.
Times will change.
The influence of cyberspace and the new entertainment technologies will continue to spread. The old media oligarchies will have to either usurp or find an accommodation with them in their struggle to stave off irrelevance.
Times will change.
If there is one single universal lesson that rugby league has offered in the century-and-a-bit of its existence it is that nothing ever, ever stays the same.
Things will change. You can count on it.
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