Who owns rugby league

This was followed by the Melbourne Storm who were introduced and owned by News Limited, and sold in to a local business consortium led by New Zealander Bart Campbell. It should also be noted that News Limited took over the Hunter Mariners after the members of the supporting Newcastle Wests leagues club effectively voted to abandon the license after its first year, and had some control over the Western Reds.

The Gold Coast Titans were the third incarnation of a Gold Coast side, and owned from the outset by a consortium led by Micheal Searle. Darryl Kelly paid 3. In Ferburary , the club was taken over by the NRL to prevent an imminent collapse.

In August , the club was put up for sale by the League, and in December, it was announced that the licence had gone to a consortium including Darryl Kelly and Rebecca Frizelle. By however, Tinkler was in grave financial trouble when he officially gave up the club in May. Control pf the club was assumed by the National Rugby League which formally took over in June Manly-Warringah originally sold a It is now fully privatised with control split between Eric Watson and Owen Glenn as of It was revealed in April , following the firing of key staff that Glenn may be looking to sell his share.

In December , the St George Illawarra Dragons revealed that they were considering private investment in the club in order to be able to match it with the bigger clubs financially. Wests Tigers were a merged entity with joint control by the boards of Wests and Balmain.

On 17 September , after finace problems arose at Balman, a new shareholder agreement was put into place with the supervision of the NRL. The board was reduced to seven with two from Balmain Tigers, two from Wests Leagues and three independents. On 25 September , with Balmain Tigers moving into Funding Default to the Wests Tigers, the board nominees from Balmain were withdrawn and with the backing and support of the NRL a new reduced five-person board of directors was appointed, with independent Marina Go announced as the new chairman of the board.

The new board had five members appointed from Wests Ashfield, two from Balmain along with two independents. In , Balmain Leagues went into Voluntary administration, and in it was announced that Balmain Leagues and Wests Ashfield would merge. Adelaide United announced a change of ownership in March , The investors that have purchased the Club are a group of predominantly European business people with business activities in Europe, Australia, and Asia and have company offices in Hong Kong.

Piet van der Pol, an experienced football administrator is in theory the main representative of the investors in Adelaide. Technically, Adelaide is owned by a company called Australian Football Opportunities, which is turn is owned by a Hong Kong-based outfit called Global Football Opportunities. With most being around an hour from Hemel, the southern clubs were competing for the same small pool of League 1-quality players. After a highly respectable first season in which they avoided defeat in half of their games, Hemel started to struggle.

The RFL relegated a handful of established clubs into the third tier, condemning the expansion clubs to a dozen insurmountable challenges every season. In , Hemel lost 20 of their 22 games, using an extraordinary 59 players, only 20 of whom played more than four times.

Hemel made a drastic decision. They started to train in Yorkshire, miles north of their stadium, and the team only travelled to Hemel for home games. In , Hemel used 45 players and only beat outpost strugglers South Wales and Oxford. In , they moved training to Sheffield.

Same result. Over their final three seasons, they lost 66 of their 73 games. That takes its toll. It is worth looking at the reasons why Hemel failed and why only two clubs — London Skolars and Coventry Bears — have successfully transformed from amateur clubs to the professional ranks since Featherstone Rovers did it years ago. Launched in , Hemel were the only club in the south with their own ground and clubhouse, an array of junior teams that had produced future internationals Dan Sarginson and Kieran Dixon, and a lottery scheme that helped establish them in their working-class community.

They attracted regular three-figure gates and were like many leading amateur clubs across the north. Going professional brought with it complications. Local amateurs who had previously paid subs to play were replaced by insufficiently talented outsiders who were paid; despite investment, the ground remained way below professional standard; volunteers were reluctant to give up their time for free when others were employed; and spectators did not like paying to watch their team getting thumped.

Things fall apart. At least they are still alive, unlike Oxford. It suggests any owner of a struggling club could just sell it to someone who wants a professional rugby club somewhere else. Only the RFL board can veto the proposal or give it the green light. League 1 clubs are up in arms at not being asked their opinion on Ottawa moving to Cornwall.

And yet the RFL have been planning this all along. First Premiership games played in NSW. Souths win first Premiership.

First Kangaroo tour. First England team tours Australia. First country competition in Newcastle. Dally Messenger scored 72 points in three-match series against QLD. First night match at Sydney Showground. Death of League founder, J. Giltinan Shield is established in First Rugby League Sevens tournament played. Grand Final attendance. QLD wins Premiership crowds top 2 million for the first time. First Grand Final played at Stadium Australia.

NRL computer game launched. Total attendance for Rugby League exceeds 3. Brisbane win their sixth Grand Final, defeating Melbourne in the final 15 — 8.