The Super League International Board was the international governing body for Super League-aligned rugby league football nations between 1995 and 1998.
84-721: The Board was formed to administer Super League globally during the Super League war , a corporate dispute fought in and out of court during the mid-1990s by the Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation -backed Super League (Australia) and the Kerry Packer and Optus Vision -backed Australian Rugby League organisations over broadcasting rights for, and ultimately control of the top-level professional rugby league football competition in Australasia. In December 1995,
168-477: A consultant engaged by ACP). A "Presenter's Outline" was drafted, setting out, in effect, a sales pitch designed to persuade players contracted to ARL clubs to sign with Super League. Plans were formulated for approaches to be made to players and coaches in various parts of Australia and New Zealand. The plans included making travel arrangements under false names in order to preserve secrecy. To ensure that it could have control of representative fixtures, News signed
252-515: A different one in the World Cup tournament. The rule change did not apply to players who had played for a country in a Test series or non-World Cup related tournament. Applications must still be made to the RLIF for those changes still permitted. The rules were clarified in 2016 by introducing tiers which determine if and when a player can represent more than one country. The changes also increased
336-542: A display of its democratic values towards the game, although some were sceptical that the representatives of the powerful richer nations would allow themselves to be overruled. The Pacific island nations were only associate members of the IRLB with only the full members Australia, Great Britain, France, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea having a vote. In 1998, the Super League International Board
420-476: A four-yearly cycle beginning in 2002 that would mean rugby league facing strong competition from other major sporting events for corporate sponsorship. During the build-up to the 2008 World Cup , which had been timed to coincide with Australia's Centenary of Rugby League celebrations, it was stated and confirmed afterwards that the following tournament in the United Kingdom would be held in 2013 to avoid
504-565: A full presentation to the ARL in February. Throughout January 1995, News developed a presentation for the ARL and met with officials from the Auckland, Cronulla-Sutherland, Illawarra and St George clubs. On 25 January, ACP provided News with a report entitled Superleague Options that identified the "current proposal" as "News Super League via Clubs/ARL". It proposed that Super League would fund
588-546: A half of football." Following the court decision, Kerry Packer met with Rupert Murdoch to resolve their differences over rugby league, and on 17 January 1997, Packer's Nine Network announced that it had secured free-to-air broadcast rights for Super League. On 22 January 1997, Ken Arthurson announced his resignation from the ARL. With twenty-two teams playing in two competitions in 1997, crowd attendances and corporate sponsorships were spread very thinly, and many teams found themselves in financial difficulty. On 23 September 1997,
672-486: A more regular basis - at least once a year - and should look at ways of helping the expansion of the game." After 1948, when only four sanctioned international teams being overseen by the IRLB and competing in annual competition, the IRLB grew to see twelve full member nations join the federation along with around thirty member nations and countless affiliates. In 1954, the Rugby League World Cup ,
756-410: A number of admission criteria including the ability to "attract a minimum average home attendance of 10,000 people". Balmain , Easts, Gold Coast , Illawarra , Parramatta, Penrith, Souths, St George and Wests failed this criterion for 1995 . After the privately owned Brisbane Broncos transferred a 20% share of their company to Northern Rivers Ltd, the new shareholders received the following: Under
840-601: A quarter share in Foxtel from News Corporation for $ 160,000,000. Rugby League International Federation The International Rugby League ( IRL ) is the global governing body for the sport of rugby league football. The IRL organises the Rugby League World Cup , the oldest international rugby World Cup, as well as the Women's and Wheelchair equivalent. International Rugby Leagues headquarters are in London, England and
924-425: A say in the altering of the rules and laws of rugby league. The RLIF reiterated in 2008 that a player may represent a country if it is the country of their parents or if that country has been the player's "principal country of residence" for three years up until the date of the player's selection. A player may also be selected for country that they have represented in international rugby league in any age level before
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#17327810308821008-534: A settlement - eventually voting in favour by 36 votes to 4. As a result, in the following months the National Rugby League (NRL), jointly owned by the ARL and News Limited was formed. The conditions of this merger controversially included an agreement to reduce the number of teams competing in the NRL to 14 by the year 2000. In 1998 , Packer's Nine Network secured the free-to-air broadcasting rights for
1092-501: A ten-year international plan in 2007. In 2009 the member nations agreed that the RLIF should negotiate over sponsorship, licensing and broadcast rights for international rugby league rather than the member nations. As of 2009, the RLIF imposed a levy of 10% on net gate receipts at all international matches, providing the International Federation with revenues. The RLIF makes grants to member nations to help foster
1176-506: A two (2) club city. If the situation of the eleven (11) teams in Sydney is not addressed in some way by the League, the threat of a take-over, or such like, will continue to loom large. We suggest that a plan to address the problems of the eleven (11) Sydney clubs vis-a-vis their colleagues in other cities and in other states is urgently needed." The letter went on to request that the question of
1260-851: Is currently made of 32 members. Founded as the Rugby League Imperial Board in 1927 by the Rugby Football League , French Rugby League Federation , Australian Rugby League Board of Control and the New Zealand Rugby League . In 1948 it became the International Rugby League Board when its membership expanded and then the Rugby League International Federation between 1998-2020. There are two regional associations affiliated to
1344-405: Is not 'dead and buried' and that attempts to de-stabilise the competition will continue. There is a vulnerability in this which News Limited have identified. Their twelve (12) team competition has just four (4) teams in Sydney. They can see that a Sydney club can only survive with great difficulty financially and logistically, against the competition provided by one city clubs, and now (for Brisbane)
1428-509: The 1997 World Club Championship which consisted of 12 European and 10 Australasian sides. The European clubs struggled in the competition and did not perform well financially. In 1996 and 1997 the Super League World Nines competition was held. Nines rugby league is a faster form of the game with only nine players on the field at a time playing in shorter halves. The World Nines competitions were held as an alternative to
1512-520: The 2012 Summer Olympics in London and that subsequent World Cups would be contested on a four-year cycle. The absence of a formal schedule of international competition has been criticised as leaving the sport "weak in international development, and in finances to help the game survive and grow outside the UK and Australia". Some moves have been made to correct this though, with the RFL's Richard Lewis proposing
1596-803: The 2021 Rugby League World Cup , IRL chairman Troy Grant announced that he was pushing for a nines tournament to be introduced to the Summer Olympics by Brisbane 2032 as well as a wheelchair tournament to be introduced to the Paralympics . In March 2024, the IRL downgraded Ireland, Italy, Lebanon, Russia, and Scotland from full to affiliate members due to noncompliance with the full membership criteria; Russia remained suspended. Belgium, Denmark, Latvia, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, and Trinidad and Tobago were expelled due to inactivity. The federations of Argentina and Spain were admitted as observers. Under
1680-615: The Australian Rugby League has declined to include in its records those of its rival. This actually means that Matt Adamson , Ken Nagas , Paul Green , Craig Greenhill , Solomon Haumono , Julian O'Neill and David Peachey , all of whom only ever represented the Super League version of the Australian team, are listed as never having played a test for Australia in official Australian records. The creation of
1764-727: The Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League organisations up on 6 April 1995. A further meeting of the Australian Rugby League board of the League took place on 7 April 1995. Among other things, the board discussed the actions of News in completing arrangements with the New Zealand Rugby League and the Rugby Football League. This was a matter of considerable significance to the League, since test matches between Australia, Great Britain and New Zealand had been conducted through
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#17327810308821848-838: The World Sevens in 1988, the International Board took a much more active part in worldwide developments. Harry Edgar states: "Much of the successful participation in the 1995 World Cup came as a direct result of the ARL's World Sevens tournament"; "the game in Fiji was launched solely because of [the] World Sevens." Some nations were introduced to international rugby league through the British Amateur Rugby League Association (BARLA). The RFL would often feel embarrassment at meetings when they "could claim to have done so little" while BARLA
1932-531: The 1947–48 Kiwi tour of Europe and these three governing bodies agreed to form the International Rugby League Board (IRLB). At the meeting, it was decided that initially the RFL would oversee the sport's rules while the IRLB developed. The Australian Rugby League joined the IRLB some months later. Over the next few years the IRLB held meetings with the outcomes forming the Rugby League World Cup which made its début in 1954 . In
2016-414: The 1998 introduction of the RLIF's constitution, or a country which the player has represented in a senior international competition in any other sport. In 2009, international qualification regulations were modified in response to dissatisfaction about players representing different nations too easily. Players who have represented one country in World Cup qualifiers would now "not be permitted" to play for
2100-458: The ARL ($ 3,000,000 per annum), the clubs ($ 2,500,000 per annum) and Super League Europe . News was also to take a management fee and buy pay television rights for $ 4,000,000 per annum. News did not agree with these figures. News presented its proposal to the ARL on 30 January. The key points were. In the weeks following the 6 February meeting with the ARL, Messers Cowley, Smith and Ribot offered players and clubs huge sums to bring them across to
2184-507: The ARL announced that it was forming a new company to control the competition in 1998 and invited Super League clubs to participate. On 7 October, Rupert Murdoch announced that he was confident that there would be a single competition in 1998, and on 19 December 1997, representatives of clubs affiliated with the Australian Rugby League gathered at the Sydney Football Stadium to decide whether to accept News Limited's offer of
2268-531: The ARL owned rights to all club colours, logos, names and jerseys. Justice Burchett also said that News Corp had acted with "dishonesty" and "duplicity". Formal orders were given in the Federal Court on 11 March 1996 to prevent any alternative rugby league football competition being held until 2000. The scope of these orders was reduced on appeal to the Full Court on 13 March 1996, but still precluded
2352-463: The ARL tried to block the new league, Super League ran one season parallel to the ARL's in 1997. At the conclusion of that season a peace deal was reached and the two leagues united to form the National Rugby League , which continues today. Titled "Super League a must " the October 4th 1994 edition of Rugby League Week featured an interview with then Queensland Rugby League chairman Ron McAuliffe. In
2436-575: The Australian Rugby League's World Sevens . The 1996 World Nines saw a video referee was used for the first time for a game of rugby league. Under the Super League International Board, competition between national teams was organised. In 1997, Great Britain hosted the Australian Super League test team, losing the series 2–1. The Australian side also played New Zealand. The Rugby Football League and New Zealand Rugby League recognise these matches as having test match status, while
2520-509: The Australian Rugby League's representative sides. The director-general of the international board was the Australian Rugby League's chairman, Ken Arthurson . In 1998, the Super League International Board was disestablished and replaced by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) as the Super League war ended in Australia and international rugby league reunited. The replacement saw worldwide governance of rugby league handed back to
2604-606: The Australians: "Despite their dominance of the game on the field, the Aussies did not get everything their own way on the old Board because frequently the New Zealanders were at loggerheads with them. The Kiwis would vote against the Aussies, and France would vote with Great Britain, leaving Papua New Guinea as Australia's only guaranteed supporter." Oxley reveals, "a lot of the really positive things were initiated by
Super League International Board - Misplaced Pages Continue
2688-602: The Board was formed in Sydney, Australia. Maurice Lindsay, the chief executive of the British Rugby Football League was elected the Board's first chairperson. Lindsay was also the British delegate. John Ribot , the chief executive of Super League (Australia) and a key figure in the Super League project, became Deputy Chairman. In response to his election, Lindsay shared the thoughts he and Ribot had on
2772-454: The Board, during its inaugural meeting, decided they should be introduced to other Super League-aligned nations worldwide. The four rule changes related to the play-the-ball , kick-off and scrums. In 1996, a ruling in the high court meant that Super League would be able to run a domestic competition in Australia the next year. The ruling meant that the Super League International Board was able operate several international competitions, including
2856-533: The Brisbane Broncos that they faced expulsion over their involvement with Super League. He told The Sydney Morning Herald that "the League has the right, as you well know, to deny admission to any team in the Winfield Cup " . Nonetheless, reports of a proposed breakaway competition continued, and on 6 November Arthurson rang his colleague John Quayle from England and instructed him to inform
2940-489: The British - certainly on rule changes, and the move to actually expand the role of the Board." Oxley states: "it was a British idea to introduce the levy on all Test match receipts to go into an international development fund. It was only 2 percent, but it did apply to television broadcast fees as well as gate receipts, so it built up into sizeable amounts, and it was that fund that paid for all we did in Russia, South Africa and
3024-689: The IRL; the European Rugby League (ERL) and the Asia-Pacific Rugby League (APRL). Rugby league, which had started in England in 1895 and spread to Wales in 1907 and Australia and New Zealand in 1908, was introduced into France in 1934 after their rugby union side was banned from the International Rugby Board (now World Rugby ) for both breaching amateur regulations and for constant foul play on
3108-531: The International Rugby League Constitution, the Board of Directors consists of 12 members from pre-defined representative nominations. The International Rugby League was founded in its current form in 1998 by ten national governing bodies: At present, a further four national governing bodies have become full members: The laws of rugby league have been the responsibility of the RLIF since its formation in 1998. Before that
3192-405: The League to implement given the long playing traditions of some of those clubs. In the long term, however, it is likely that Sydney is not going to be able to support eleven clubs as it does at present. Therefore in the long term this is the only viable solution. Sydney based clubs are going to have to move to new areas, merge or be relegated from the League. This is going to be a painful process. In
3276-531: The NRL until 2007 for $ 13,000,000 a year, while Foxtel and Optus Vision were to be joint Pay TV broadcasters until 2000. In 2001, C7 Sport (the successor to Optus Vision's Sports Australia channels) unsuccessfully attempted to buy the pay television NRL rights until 2006 for $ 72,000,000 per annum. After Nine resigned these rights, and acquired the AFL broadcast rights, C7 was shut down in March 2002, leaving Fox Sports as
3360-504: The NSW League and the ARL. But it will happen, I've no doubt about that." McAuliffe was also noncommittal about the number of teams which would take part in such a competition, but he thought 12 would be an ideal number. "But if there are 12, it won't necessarily mean eight from Sydney and four from Brisbane," he said."And it won't necessarily be one single club. The way I see it, there is going to be much ground sharing and club sharing in
3444-746: The New Zealand and British Leagues. On 3 February 1995, Brisbane Broncos started Federal Court action against the NSWRL over salary cap rules. On 30 March 1995, News commenced legal action against the ARL, NSWRL and six clubs, alleging breaches of the Trade Practices Act . On 25 September 1995, the ARL commenced legal action in the Federal Court of Australia to stop the new competition beginning in 1996. Justice James Burchett handed down his findings on 23 February 1996. He found that
Super League International Board - Misplaced Pages Continue
3528-468: The President of each club that he wished to discuss the signing of 3 to 5-year loyalty agreements in order to continue playing in the premiership. News began developing the Super League proposal for presentation to the ARL and its clubs, the final draft of which was presented to News representatives on 13 December. It concluded that the economics of an Australian Super League were attractive compared to
3612-623: The RLIF in 2010 at a meeting in Melbourne, Australia. At a special general meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in November 2010, a new constitution was approved that gave New Zealand, Australia and England permanent seats on the RLIF board, with provision made for an additional seat each by May 2011 for the RLEF and a soon-to-be-formed Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation (APRLC), once RLEF and APRLC were granted Associate Membership status by
3696-564: The RLIF. The APRLC was incorporated in April 2011 with member nations New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands. Scotland and Ireland were each granted full membership of the RLIF, and the RLEF and APRLC Associate Membership, at the annual general meeting held in Auckland, New Zealand, in May 2011. A new Chairman, Scott Carter was also elected, becoming
3780-516: The Rugby Football League and IRLB, after its inception in 1948, were the bodies that maintained the Laws. The International Federation in conjunction with the nations governing bodies (mainly the Australian Rugby League , Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII , New Zealand Rugby League and the Rugby Football League ) often meet on a semi-regular basis of up to four times per year to make changes or decide new rules; although all test playing nations have
3864-602: The Rugby League International Federation repeated the offer for the 2000 World Cup and the team competed as "Aotearoa Māori". Super League war Supported by: Supported by: The Super League war was a commercial competition between the Australian Rugby League (ARL) and the Australian Super League to establish pre-eminence in professional rugby league competition in Australia and New Zealand in
3948-649: The Rugby League International Federation's first tasks upon assuming control was to re-codify the Laws of the Game following the divergence that occurred whilst the game was split. During their attempts to attract partners, the Super League International Board agreed to give a place in their planned 1998 world cup to the New Zealand Māori rugby league team at a meeting in Paris in 1997. Despite that world cup not taking place,
4032-503: The Super League International Board (SLIB) to govern Super League worldwide. The agreements that the former IRLB members signed with Super League had the effect of "usurping" the international board's control and diminishing the influence of its director-general, the Australian Rugby League's chairman, Ken Arthurson . The agreements removed international playing opposition for the Australian Rugby League's representative sides. The SLIB gave its Pacific island members full voting rights in
4116-582: The Sydney clubs be considered by the Premiership Policy Committee on an urgent basis. On 23 March 1995, a meeting took place within News. The participants included Messrs Cowley, Smith and Ribot, together with News Ltd. owner Rupert Murdoch . Notes from the meeting stated that the first attempt to build an Australian Super League had been unsuccessful, because News had made some wrong assumptions. In particular, it had been assumed that
4200-644: The appointment of the first full-time CEO, former England and Wales Cricket Board CEO David Collier . In February 2018, John Grant was appointed as the new Chairman of the RLIF On 14 October 2019, the RLIF board voted to officially change its name to International Rugby League with the change taking effect the next day. After the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , the International Rugby League and European Rugby League banned Russia from all international rugby league competitions. During
4284-416: The board was expected to weaken the position of the Australian Rugby League, increasing their isolation. During 1995, more rugby league governing bodies outside Australia, such as France and Papua New Guinea, signed on with Super League, joining Britain and New Zealand. These agreements had the effect of "usurping" the international board's control of the sport and removing international playing opposition for
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#17327810308824368-534: The dominant Australian pay television sports network. As a result of the failure of C7, its owners commenced legal proceedings against parties, including Fox Sports, Foxtel and the NRL Partnership, for damages of $ 1 billion. In 2008 the case was dismissed. The free to air rights were renewed in 2005 until 2012 for an amount of $ 40,000,000 a year. Foxtel was originally half-owned by News Corporation and half-owned by Telstra. On 30 October 1998, PBL purchased
4452-455: The event of breach. This threat had "spooked" club officials. What was needed, according to the notes, in order to set up a competition in 1997 or, perhaps, 1996, was a second, more aggressive approach. Building an Australian Super League to capture television rights would cost $ 60 million over four years. Super League would be owned and operated by News. The key elements of the more aggressive approach were to: Clearly enough, Murdoch approved
4536-489: The existing competition. Three strategies where identified for its implementation: The proposed structure of the competition included: On 22 December, News sent five clubs - Brisbane, Canberra, Newcastle, Cronulla-Sutherland and the Western Reds - a document entitled Super League Confidentiality Deed . The purpose of this document was obtain feedback from these clubs with the view to making small adjustments prior
4620-479: The expansion of Rugby League was tabled by the Premiership Policy Committee of the NSWRL, followed in August by an Organisation Review , by Dr G. Bradley, which was distributed to the premiership clubs. The Bradley Report, as it became known, was central to the ARL replacing the NSWRL as the governing body of the premiership. The report concluded that: ...to reduce the number of clubs in Sydney, will be very hard for
4704-409: The field. The Imperial Rugby League Board was formed in 1927. The Rugby Football League 's authority in the sport was supported by having a majority of the representatives on the Board. The RFL had three representatives while Australia and New Zealand each had one. According to Collins (2000), the imbalanced voting rights were a result of the RFL being the representative for the "mother country" and
4788-662: The fine work done by Bob Abbott in the South Pacific, plus a significant part of the Student World Cup." Oxley says that Kevin Humphries may have dominated for the Australians for a time but that was due to his personality. At that time the Board's role was mostly restricted to discussion of rule changes. Oxley states that it was the British who "established the procedure that the Board should meet on
4872-569: The first Kiwi to hold the role. This prompted a walkout by the Rugby Football League 's Richard Lewis who believed he should have succeeded Australia's Colin Love . Serbia and Lebanon were each granted full membership of the RLIF at the annual general meeting held in Manchester, England in May 2012. Ukraine, Russia and Jamaica were granted full membership in 2013. Nigel Wood was elected as Chairman in 2014 following and oversaw reforms, including
4956-487: The first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule ending unlimited tackles and instead allowing the team in possession three play-the-balls followed by forming a scrum on the fourth tackle. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. The Australians had always been strong in supporting expansion of
5040-502: The future of the sport under Super League: Having spent a lifetime in the game and been so heavily involved in international rugby league for so many years, I am very excited. John and I share the same values and belief that our game has been world sport's best kept secret for far too long. The Super League International Board's responsibilities included controlling the laws of the game. Several new rules had been trialled in Britain and
5124-765: The future." He continued "In fact, I can foresee club amalgamations in both Brisbane and Sydney." According to other sources the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) and Australian Rugby League (ARL) had planned to rationalise the number of Sydney teams. In July 1986, the Daily Telegraph reported: Ken Arthurson has proposed a Super League... comprising four or five teams from Sydney, two from Brisbane, three New South Wales Country teams, Queensland Country and Auckland. You could amalgamate Manly/Northern Suburbs, Eastern Suburbs/Souths, Parramatta/Penrith and so on. On 9 April 1992, A blueprint for
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#17327810308825208-447: The game but the effectiveness of these has been questioned. The Pacific Rim nations of Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands united to form the Pacific Islands Rugby League Federation (PIRLF) in December 2009. However, PIRLF was not formally recognised by the RLIF, as consideration was being given to modernising the RLIF constitution and membership structure. The Wales Rugby League were granted full membership of
5292-434: The game including places such as "South Africa, America and Canada". The Australians even took a lead role in aiding the game in France, in what might be considered the British sphere of influence, the ARL funded Tas Baitieri in a Development Officer position and they also provided coaching and player assistance and continued to have the Kangaroos tour France despite the costs. After the Australian Rugby League introduced
5376-424: The interview with Tony Durkin , Ron McAuliffe brought to light a proposal to expand the then NSWRL competition with several new teams. McAuliffe's plans were for what he described as a "Super League" with 12 clubs from across NSW and Queensland across two divisions, with a system of relegation and promotion. "From my point of view, the thoughts are preliminary at this stage," he said."It has yet to be discussed with
5460-411: The long term I believe that the ARL should be looking to reduce the number of clubs in the National Competition to fourteen, thus allowing clubs to play two complete rounds. This will mean, assuming that only four new clubs are admitted from areas outside Sydney, that there will be only five clubs based in Sydney. Each club received a letter of invitation for the 1995 season on 2 May 1994. Included were
5544-440: The mid-1990s. Super League, backed by Rupert Murdoch and News Corporation , competed with the ARL, supported by Kerry Packer and Optus Vision , in and out of court for broadcasting rights and supremacy in the sport. Super League had attracted several clubs disenchanted with the existing administration, and introduced two new clubs, as it attempted to establish itself as the dominant competition. After much legal action, when
5628-412: The new competition. At least one loyal club took the view that Super League, perhaps in an altered version, was not out of the question. In a letter dated 16 February 1995, Mr Hudson, the chairman of the board of Manly-Warringah , wrote to Mr Quayle: "there are great advantages for News Limited in getting their current proposal, or some version of it, finally accepted. Hence, we feel that the proposition
5712-415: The option of the "rebel competition". Thereafter, detailed planning took place within the News organisation. The planning was recorded in a chart designated as the "war room" chart. The expression "war room" was apparently a reference to Mr Smith's office at News. The planning group prepared a schedule of about 200 target players, considered to be the ARL's "core playing strength" (a phrase used by Mr Raneberg,
5796-494: The other members being keen to demonstrate their loyalty to the Crown. In 1935 the French Rugby League proposed the constitution of an international board for rugby league, but the Australians were not favourable, and the idea was abandoned for a while. The Board was formed on 25 January 1948 in Bordeaux , France at the impetus of the French, led by Paul Barrière . The Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII , New Zealand Rugby League and Britain's Rugby Football League met during
5880-408: The proposal was "to ensure that no other competition could exist in competition to Superleague". Accordingly, it was considered necessary to have at least four teams based in Sydney in order to maintain the game's largest base, and to ensure that all teams were privately owned. To ensure this outcome, the following steps were outlined: The document noted that the co-operation of players and some clubs
5964-586: The season out, and did not play again until he joined Brisbane Broncos in 1997. British Rugby League boss Maurice Lindsay announced on 20 March 1996 that a new competition named Global League would be created, using the same players as the now-banned News competition, and featuring clubs such as Cronulla Dolphins (instead of Sharks), Canberra Vikings (instead of Raiders) and Penrith Cats (instead of Panthers). On 4 October 1996, Federal Court Justices John Lockhart , Ronald Sackville and John von Doussa set aside all of Justice Burchett's previous orders, clearing
6048-405: The sport's national governing bodies. Peace is breaking out all over the world...it was just a matter of getting everyone around the table. John McDonald , the chair of the Australian Rugby League, became chair of the RLIF. Sir Rodney Walker was elected a member of the RLIF, beating Maurice Lindsay and signifying a power shift in the British game. Walker took the position of vice-chair. One of
6132-446: The start of the Super League competition. Rupert Murdoch described the court decision as "1-nil at half-time". All Super League teams forfeited the first round of the ARL competition, except for Auckland Warriors, who claimed two uncontested premiership points from their unplayed match against Brisbane Broncos. Most Super League players played in the ARL season of 1996, with the notable exception of St George's Gorden Tallis who sat
6216-506: The terms of the League's Constitution, it is necessary that, without exception, all clubs which wish to participate in the League's Premiership competition, must apply each year for admission. No club has any automatic right to participate in any year's competition and the League has the unfettered right to reject any club's application for participation. In 1993, after a dispute over sponsorship (the Queensland Rugby League
6300-445: The threat of clubs defecting to an alternative competition would pressure the ARL to accept the concept and that the ARL had the ability to grant television rights to News. News' position had been weakened because the clubs did not think that News would follow through with a rival competition outside the ARL. Moreover, Kerry Packer had dominated events, in large measure because of his threat at the meeting of 6 February 1995 to sue clubs in
6384-481: The view of Harry Edgar, from the Board's establishment "until his death in 1986, Bill Fallowfield was a dominant figure in its activities. Always a keen student of the rules of the game, [Fallowfield], like Australia's Tom Bellew in more recent times, strove to establish uniformity in the rules between all nations". Former RFL Chief Executive David Oxley, an attendee of International Board meetings for close to 20 years, confirmed that proceedings were not dominated by
6468-580: The way for the Super League Telstra Cup to commence in 1997. ARL Chairman Ken Arthurson wrote, "I was furious, hurt, bewildered... I felt as if had been run over by the Southern Aurora ." Lindsay, who led the British game into Super League was ecstatic at the victory, comparing it to "winning a cup final". The ARL appealed but their case was dismissed on 15 November 1996 in, according to Arthurson, "less time than it took to play
6552-444: Was disestablished and replaced by a new organisation, the Rugby League International Federation, as the Super League war ended in Australia and international rugby league reunited. The replacement saw worldwide governance of rugby league handed back to the sport's national governing bodies. The meeting in Sydney at which it was agreed to form the RLIF was held at the request of the Australian and New Zealand Rugby Leagues. Britain
6636-422: Was essential for the new competition. It acknowledged that compensation might have to be offered to unwanted players and teams, and that it would be difficult to use current names and logos. On 17 October, the board of the ARL resolved to hold a special board meeting to discuss several issues, including Super League and a "reduction in the number of Sydney teams". Three days later ARL Chairman Ken Arthurson warned
6720-534: Was praised by other attendees. Maurice Lindsay has been credited with ensuring the 10-team 1995 World Cup was accompanied by an Emerging Nations tournament of seven teams, supporting international growth. The 1995 World Cup was the "swansong of the original Board". With the Super League war started, the Board held what would be their last meeting immediately before that tournament, it ended "acrimoniously" as every member nation except Australia "stated their intention to withdraw their membership" and to establish
6804-462: Was regret that rugby league had been so badly damaged, Harry Edgar , a rugby league writer, warned, "there can be no place for politics or individuals seeking personal glorification" as the "international game picks up the pieces after three years of bitter fall-out". The RLIF's scheduling of competitions made shortly after its formation, specifically the timing of world cups, was criticised by Graham Clay, editor of Open Rugby magazine for opting for
6888-489: Was represented by the Rugby Football League, rather than Super League (Europe), the company formed by its leading clubs. John McDonald , chair of the Australian Rugby League, became chair of the RLIF. Maurice Lindsay, the chairman of the Super League International Board (SLIB), was bypassed after he had suggested that the SLIB, with him leading it, should carry on the governance of the international game. Lindsay's candidature
6972-513: Was sponsored by Brisbane-based brewery Castlemaine Perkins (XXXX) while the Broncos were sponsored by rival brewery Powers), the Broncos had moved out of the 33,500 capacity Lang Park and into the 60,000 capacity ANZ Stadium (the main venue of the 1982 Commonwealth Games ). In May 1994, Ribot first discussed with some of the club's high-profile players the possibility of a hypothetical new competition with higher salaries. One objective of
7056-552: Was weak due to his role in the Super League war. The cessation of Super League operations in Australasia and the notice that had been given of the SLIB's intention to cease funding the sport in the Pacific islands, meant the SLIB could be left with only Britain left as a member. The French were happy to cut ties with SLIB and join the new Federation as, allegedly, "they never saw a penny of the £1 million they believed they had been promised to sign up with Super League". In 1998, there
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