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During the 1980s, rugby league – under astute management – expanded and created the most watched code of football in Australia.
By the mid 90s there were more than 20 teams in all major Australian centres aside from Melbourne rating well in excess of other codes at the time.
Then came the Super League war, which crippled the code and its expansion plans. However, the fact that the code survived showed what support there was for it.
The battle for rugby league was largely because the code was the highest rating sports code in the country at the time.
With a divided code, many fans were disillusioned, other media deals were undertaken. Rugby union signed off on the Super Rugby and Tri Nations competitions. The AFL signed new deals and set its sights on Australian domination.
League was pounded from pillar to post and was effectively under the control of News Limited. CEO David Gallop was impressive. He united the code and lead without fear, but was held back by the mistrust between the code’s competing interests.
Only football was in a worse place than rugby league, with the NSL slowing winding its way towards eventual bankruptcy.
Many suggested that rugby league would fall over. However, these critics failed to understand the level of grassroots support for the game.
Since then, the game has rebounded. Now, league is back where it was in the early 90s: huge media deals, in control of match scheduling, building the international game and expanding outside its traditional areas.
Football is my game, but I take an interest in union and League, and I will find it interesting to see how league and the AFL fight for the title of the top sport in Australia.
My money’s on league. I can see a new Perth team plus a combined Oceania side giving league growth, whereas the AFL has no new markets to move into and can only grow in its existing areas.
Globalisation has had an effect on sports, with borders now no barrier to following your favourite game. How will Australian sport look in 2020?
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