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In 1983, long time Roar expert David Lord signed 208 of the best Rugby Union players to form an international pro circuit, with the intention of getting them paid properly.
It never got off the ground, but it did force the International Rugby Board (IRB) to revolutionise the way the game was governed, with the first Rugby World Cup played in 1987.
Now, Lord has spoken to The Roar about exactly what happened as he tried to get the new circuit off the ground, with financial inspiration paving the way.
“The inspiration (for the new circuit) was the fact that Rugby players had been used and abused financially. Every one of them had to have a job, they’d train Tuesday and Thursday night and play on Saturday. They had to get time off to play for their state or the Wallabies.” said Lord.
Lord believes the only reason the competition didn’t get off the ground was because of a lack of TV broadcasters.
“We needed TV to make this happen. If there had been Foxtel at the time, it would have happened like that.” he said.
“The Rugby World Cup is now one of the biggest events in the world every four years,” he added.
To hear the full story check out the video player above.
We’ll have more snippets from David Lord’s amazing career in the coming weeks.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.