News Articles
3 November 2000
Transcript - 7:30 Report
3/11/00
Rabbitohs lose two year battle
KERRY O'BRIEN: The story of South Sydney Rugby League club's desperate struggle to play in the national league is of course partly about sport, but it's also about a passionate tradition, about power politics, and some would say about the soul of rugby league.
Today the club lost its two year battle to remain part of the national competition in which Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation is the major partner.
A Federal Court ruling rejected the basic thrust of South Sydney's case -- that the game be preserved for the people who loved it rather than "a product to be carved up to the media ... for their financial gratification".
While the national league has won in the court room, the Souths' saga has been a setback for a sport still struggling to regain grassroots support after the bitter Super League war.
David Hardaker reports.
EILEEN McLOUGHLIN, SUPPORTER: It's hard to explain the feeling we have for Souths.
It's such a great club.
It's very friendly.
Well, it's got so much tradition, and I think it's so unjust that Mr Murdoch can come along and just take over and kick it out.
DAVID HARDAKER: Eileen McLoughlin is one of the South Sydney diehards.
So dedicated to the club's cause, she's worked here as a volunteer for the last five years.
Like hundreds of other 'Rabbitos' supporters, she started the day hoping against hope that her working-class club could defeat the might of the NRL, the National Rugby League competition backed by Rupert Murdoch.
JUSTICE PAUL FINN, FEDERAL COURT: South's view as put in correspondence with NRL was "in our view Rugby League is an icon to be preserved for the people who love and support it, not a product to be carved up to the media for their own financial gratification.
However, I have found -- "
DAVID HARDAKER: In a judgment lasting less than 10 minutes, beamed live from the Federal Court, South's hopes were over.
Tradition had come off second best in a battle with trade practices law.
With the court effectively delivering a death sentence, it was a time for those who've worked to save this club to regroup.
Eileen, or Nan as she's known, has given more than most.
The tough men who've campaigned to save this club are now staring at the end of close to a century of tradition.
Souths is a foundation club of the Rugby League, but it spent last year on the sidelines after the National Rugby League culled it from the competition.
Today the club lost an attempt to be readmitted, but the fight is not over.
ANDREW DENTON, SUPPORTER: They haven't won because this is the people's game.
It's advertised as the people's game.
What's happened here today is manifestly the people not just of Souths but from many clubs and the city generally have been denied what they feel is rightfully theirs.
They can't possibly win.
DAVID HARDAKER: Andrew Denton is one of several high-profile champions of the Souths' cause.
He says beyond the emotion, the league's decision to exclude Souths is plain bad business.
ANDREW DENTON: It's a classic study, never take over a business that you don't understand because you'll always lose money.
That's exactly what's happened here.
They haven't understood the core values of Rugby League.
What's happened with Souths today just underlines that further.
DAVID HARDAKER: But the National Rugby League refuses to concede that the end of Souths is bad for the game.
DAVID MOFFETT, CHIEF EXECUTIVE NRL: Well, I would just like to stress that this is not a win/lose issue, it's an issue in which there have been two judgments in two court cases.
And it was about a 14-team competition.
I'd like to take you back to the days when that was decided.
It was decided when the game was brought back together and that 14-team competition was successful last year and the judgments have cleared weight for us to continue with a 14-team competition, which is what we're going to do.
PETER WILKINS, ABC RADIO: It's hard not to be touched by the emotion that we see around, behind the pulse that has gathered behind South Sydney over the last two to three years.
DAVID HARDAKER: For the ABC's Rugby League commentator Peter Wilkins, emotion isn't enough.
There are also tough questions about Souths' viability.
PETER WILKINS: What about the year's before?
What about the small crowds?
What about the lack of, if you like, financial nous at management level would have kept them in the competition when it came to the crunch.
DAVID HARDAKER: Whatever the legalities of today's decision, Andrew Denton claims the NRL will have to heed people power.
ANDREW DENTON: They are a business.
That's how they view this thing.
If they're smart at their business -- I've never seen a business anywhere in the world tell its customers to go away at the door.
That's what these people are doing.
So there is pride hurt on all sides here.
That is a given.
Could it be worse for the NRL than what happened today?
What happened today is they effectively shot Bambi twice in full public view.
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