With less than 24 hours to go until the final game of the 2023 State Of Origin rugby league series, a “difficult but necessary” media obligation boycott as part of an industrial dispute regarding a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for their players looks set to affect its broadcasts & journalism of the match.
This was decided unanimously at a meeting of the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) last Tuesday night (4th of July) that contained over 50 player “leaders” & was announced by the Rugby League Players’ Association at a press conference at Novotel Sydney Darling Harbour last Wednesday afternoon.
It was in response to an “ultimatum” presented to them by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) on behalf of National Rugby League (NRL), Australia & New Zealand’s professional franchise rugby league competition, which is a separate event series to State Of Origin but is tied very closely, logistically & on sporting terms. It should be noted most, but not all, of the matters in dispute detailed below do not directly affect State Of Origin but rather the NRL competition.
The “ultimatum” involved the ARLC & NRL “taking away” players’ medical information “rights”, ‘exploiting’ their property, ‘controlling’ how ‘the players’ money’ is spent on player funds and benefits & ‘making’ players pay for insurances that “don’t benefit” them.
With the ultimatum not acceptable by the RLPA, CBA negotiations have come to a halt as a result.
The players will abandon all media obligations tomorrow regarding State Of Origin including preview stories, interviews in the broadcasts before, after and at half time of the match as well as press conferences before & after the match.
However, they will still produce content for Queensland & New South Wales Rugby League.
The ARLC, whose Chairman Peter V’landys is on leave, have met to discuss next steps, which are still unclear. The ARLC & NRL released a statement last Wednesday evening saying they are “disappointed” as well as making “corrections” to the RLPA announcement and stating certain facts of their proposal. The full statement can be found at the bottom of this article.
Broadcasters have declined to comment.
As far as we are aware, this is the 1st industrial dispute ever to affect a flagship Sydney Spectacular. For more information, there is a Frequently Asked Questions page found here on the RLPA website.
The final game of State Of Origin 2023 will be held tonight at 8:05pm at Stadium Australia, Sydney.
The players have unanimously decided to take action in response to the current impasse in collective bargaining negotiations with the NRL & ARLC.
Recently, the RLPA submitted a proposal to the NRL and ARLC that is fair, contains numerous concessions by players & does not ask for a single dollar more than what had already been agreed upon. Unfortunately, the NRL and ARLC responded with changes that deviated so significantly from our proposal that they restricted the rights of players to an unacceptable level. They also made it clear that their response was non-negotiable & not open for discussion.
I want to emphasise the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in today. We are witnessing a disappointing breakdown in negotiations & a blatant disregard for the rights and welfare of our players. This is a clear attempt to intimidate players into a deal that undermines their rights, their voice and their control over their own careers & players agree unanimously that they will not roll over to union-busting tactics such as what we are witnessing.
That is why, from Thursday 6 July, our players will be boycotting all broadcast & media engagements on days when…State of Origin matches are scheduled. This includes pre-match, half-time & post-match interviews as well as press conferences & other media opportunities.
I want to take a moment to acknowledge the strength and courage of our players…who continue to break barriers and pave the way for future generations. As a woman in a leadership role within rugby league, I understand the significance of their presence & the importance of their voices being heard. Our sport, our players & our fans deserve better. We stand with them & we urge the NRL and ARLC to do the same.
Doctor Deidre Anderson AM, RLPA Board Chair
As the CEO of the Rugby League Players’ Association, I want to add to the Chair’s message and provide further context.
I would like to thank the recent facilitator of the negotiations for his dedication to achieving a good outcome for all. However, negotiations now require a different approach, but his contribution is greatly appreciated.
This issue hits home for me on a personal level. I have lived and breathed this sport; as a fan, player and administrator for as long as I can remember. I understand the sacrifices our players make and the risks they take every time they step onto the field. Their careers can be fleeting, and they deserve to have their rights and welfare protected.
Over the 20 past months, we have seen a disturbing pattern of behaviour from the…ARLC. What we have seen is a failure to respect the role of the players’ representative body, erosion of fundamental player rights & attempts to buy off players without understanding this CBA is about so much more than money. They have failed to honour their commitments in providing a CBA everyone can be proud of – one that respects the players’ irreplaceable role. They did not properly disclose financial information and payments owed to the players & disregarded their collective concerns. The players have shown tremendous patience & goodwill throughout this process, but their trust & resolve have been tested time & time again.
I want to be clear that we have been forced into this position & importantly our issue is not with the media. Unfortunately, unless we were prepared to fail in our obligations to appropriately represent & protect our members, the only choice we are left with is to take action. It’s important to understand that this action will be seen by some players as not hard enough, but for now, this is considered appropriate action given the NRLs’ take it or leave it position, which now rewinds much of the good outcomes we were optimistic about securing.
We must also remember not to let this dispute overshadow the connection between the players & the fans. While there is no game without players, there is no profession without fans. Fans are the lifeblood of this game & our players are dedicated to playing for them and providing the entertainment they deserve. They have a deep connection with the community because they too, all started their journey as a fan.
We entered into negotiations with the hope of reaching a fair & reasonable agreement that addresses the needs & interests of all players. We made concessions, we engaged in good faith & we presented a settlement proposal that did not ask for a single dollar more than what had already been agreed upon. Yet, the NRL responded with over 100 changes that would have sent players backward in many key areas. This response was unacceptable with clear erosion of player rights, including taking away player rights (medical information), exploiting their player property, controlling how players spend their money on player funds and benefits, increase the amount of matches played without player agreement & making players pay for things they shouldn’t have to (insurances that don’t benefit players).
We urge the NRL and ARLC to come to the table & provide the players with a fair deal.
As one of the leaders in our game, I am fearful and concerned about the trajectory of our game – with all major stakeholder agreements unsigned, unresolved & unannounced. These include the…NSWRL and QRL member agreements…. We need to come together & provide certainty for everyone. This must be a non-negotiable.
Let us not forget: Our game is the only game in world sport that started due to a workers’ and player rights dispute & more the 100 years on here we are again except it’s with our own governing body.
We are standing up and stepping forward to represent the will and conviction of the players & we will continue to stand firm for the benefit of current, past and future players & the overall health and success of the game.
Rugby League Players’ Association Chief Executive Officer, Clint Newton OAM
The NRL’s offer to the RLPA represents a landmark deal for the players. The NRL…have provided substantial improvement in player payments, benefits and conditions.
- The players will share an unprecedented $1.347 billion in total player payments from 2023-2027.
- This represents a 37.4% increase as compared to the $980 million total player payments agreed for 2018-2022.
- The minimum wage will progressively increase reaching $150,000 by 2027.
- Introduction of a past Player Medical Support program, Transition and Past Player programs and General Hardship Fund with a combined allocation of $10 million to establish these new programs.
- An expanded Injury Hardship Fund will be created, with a dedicated allocation of $9 million.
- An expanded and jointly managed Wellbeing & Education program will be available to all players with an allocation of $25 million.
- Beyond financial benefits, the Players will receive improved conditions compared to the previous CBA including…mandated entry and exit medicals to ensure accurate medical data is kept up to date to better serve the recovery of players.
The NRL is disappointed that the RLPA has decided to take this unnecessary action, which is damaging to the game and to the detriment of broadcast partners, sponsors and importantly fans.
It is important to correct a number of statements made by the RLPA today that are incorrect.
The NRL’s offer provides increased agreement and consultation rights for the RLPA and players. The NRL and Clubs have spent well over 12 months negotiating and carefully considering the players requests. This includes recognising the players priorities to provide greater support to players transitioning from the game and support players in retirement and hardship. In listening to the players, the NRL offer meets the RLPA’s request on the Injury Hardship Fund, and establishment of new and expanded funds including the General Hardship Fund, Past Player Medical Support and Past Player Transition Program.
The ARLC is the governing body of rugby league in Australia & has an obligation to act in the best interests of the game both in the immediate and long-term including protecting the interests of all of stakeholders in the game.
ARLC & NRL
Sydney Spectaculars 