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Grassroots rugby league needs more support

therod new author
Roar Rookie
12th November, 2015
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Where were all these new Raiders fans during the year? (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
therod new author
Roar Rookie
12th November, 2015
22

As a passionate rugby league fan, I am disillusioned with the role Country Rugby League plays in the progression of the sport.

How much funding does the CRL get? How is that funding allocated? Why isn’t more funding going into the groups that run rugby league in the country?

But my biggest question is why does the National Rugby League keep pushing the issues of rugby league in regional areas aside?

Newcastle Rugby League (not the Newcastle Knights) is in a bit of pickle. The Knights, once owned by Nathan Tinkler, guaranteed the Newcastle Rugby League (known as the Real NRL) more than $200,000 in funding per season to keep the local competitions in order.

Unfortunately, now that Tinkler has departed, so too has the guaranteed funding that kept league as the number one sport in Newcastle and the Hunter. The Knights’ new controllers, which last time I checked was the NRL, have decided not to honour the agreement.

Now you would think that the governing body of the game would honour the previous agreement for the good of the game, but it seems that this is not the case.

The shortfall in funding now leaves local footy with a massive hole to fill. Where does the Real NRL get an extra $200,000 a year?

One suggestion is to hit the nearly 8500 registered players with an extra $10 a season. Sure – why not make it $20 or $50 and while you’re at it, and hand AFL and football the keys to the dressing sheds of all the local sporting facilities too.

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Hitting players and clubs with an extra tax is not the answer. Players and even potential players are turning away from league because of the stupidity that continues to burden the game. A tenner may not sound like much but it is a hell of a lot when it comes to deciding what sport your child will play next winter.

The NRL is quick to hold press conferences to tell everyone how financially sound they are and what great things they are doing for the development of the game in Western Sydney, but what about the rest of the country? It is about time NRL became proactive in supporting the game at all levels.

As for the Country Rugby League – which is based in Sydney – I’m still not sure what they actually really do, except hold a couple of coaching clinics and organise a few tournaments here and there, which are probably run by volunteers.

It would be great to read the opinions from other regions and towns on this matter. Maybe if enough people start raising their voice in forums like these, the NRL and CRL will finally act.

It is already too late in the Newcastle area, where football has already taken over, but hopefully this article will get some movement from the top.

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