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- May 28, 2006
Rugby League - the game for yobs
Two interesting articles in today’s papers about the culture of rugby league.
First, this one about the problems of alcohol fuelled bad behaviour among the elite players in Australia’s National Rugby League (NRL). This comes the week after a player, Tevita Latu, was fired by his club, Cronulla, for punching a woman in the face during a drunken night out. There have been 35 alcohol related incidents reported in the last 5 years, and 17 in the last year alone. During that time, more than $340,000 in fines has been meted out by the NRL and clubs for offences including harassing females, drink driving, assaulting police and urinating in public. This is despite the NRL supposedly working hard to ensure players adhere to community standards, show appropriate respect towards and treatment of women, and generally behave like civilised humans. Clearly more needs to be done. Brisbane Broncos’ CEO, Bruno Cullen, agrees:
“I firmly believe alcohol is the biggest problem in our game,” Cullen said.
“I can’t remember the last player who got into trouble who wasn’t influenced by alcohol.”
Now, given that rugby league players are young men, generally in their early to mid 20’s, its often said that their behaviour is no worse than any others of similar age, just that they are under more scrutiny. Maybe, although I’d say that when I’ve been out pissed I’ve never really felt great urges to get into fights, piss on ATM’s, cars, other people’s legs, flop my cock out, grope under-age girls etc. Think of all the extra fun I might have missed out on! I think there is a problem with the culture of rugby league - young men who are often put on a pedestal while still at school just because they can kick a footy, run fast and tackle hard, who then find themselves earning big dollars, and not having to face up to normal responsibilities, surrounded by sycophants who shelter them from many things that people normally face in their lives, tell them how wonderful they are, and similar. I’d suggest that many of them need a good kick up the arse when they fuck up …. some attitude adjustment from teachers, parents, coaches, officials and the like right from the word go.
Strange too, how the ones that do get the bullet for their behaviour are the fringe players, never really the marquee ones. What a message it would send if next time a really big name player fucked up, they got sacked from the game, never to be given another chance somewhere else. Bet you it never happens though.
The other story was about rugby league being far from a women-friendly spectator sport. Specifically it was about the cheerleaders, the sexist crowd behaviour, etc. I go to see the Raiders occasionally, and I find the fact that the main pre-game entertainment consists of skimpily dressed girls dancing around pretty embarassing. I can’t imagine what a visitor unfamiliar with the ways of rugby league and its followers would think …something along the lines of bogan ball? The dancing girls should have gone from the game about 30 years ago … but then, whatever entertainment is served up along with them is at least equally cringeworthy - at Canberra Stadium its usually some promotional crap connected with one of the local radio stations.
Doesn’t help in my view that the main broadcaster of rugby league clearly promotes itself and behaves like it is the yobbo channel - Channel Nine, you are guilty here. Is it encouraging yobbism through its efforts, like the Footy Show, or merely pandering to a pre-existing audience of idiots? (This is a bit like the correlation between low intelligence and country music. Does country music cause low intelligence, or do people with low intelligence just happen to like country music?)
Technorati Tags: rugby league, NRL, Tevita Latu sacking, sexism, drunken behaviour, alcohol problems, cheergirls, dancing girls, Canberra Raiders
3 Responses to “Rugby League - the game for yobs”
Rugby League is traditionally played by working-class males. From it’s inception, Rugby League was seen as the “real” man’s game, and not played by the upper-class toffee-nosed ex-private school prefects. (ie. Union)
It shits me when people take the ignorance and anti-social behaviour of some young males (ie. Footballers), and take it out on the game. The game of Rugby League is awesome.
Unfortunately over the years, the game (as has so many things) has become more and more about big business. Thus, the players get paid more and then with all their free time they are drinking more, or gambling more or getting themselves into trouble.
I am all for counselling within the clubs to try and curb anti-social behaviour and reduce incidents like the ones we have seen, but I don’t think that incidents should be taken out on the game as a whole.
Game for Yobs? Not at all. A game for the working-class? Yes.
Mind you, those ‘toffee-nosed’ players from the other code get themselves in just as much trouble, so it’s not an exclusive League problem. Perhaps more of a general social problem with young males who have too much money, too much time and very little responsibility.
Not sure what my point is, but just felt an urge to defend the ‘Greatest Game of All’.
By Mick on May 28, 2006
Mick - I like RL too, all the more so when the Raiders are travelling well. I guess my point was that unfortunately there are some undesirable elements playing the game, and also that it does tend to pander to the lowest common denominator in many respects. I think on average the RL we see here in Australia is better than the average rugby union game we see, although I think that union is capable of greater heights at its absolute best.
By Living in Canberra on May 29, 2006
Down in Melbourne Storm country, I was listening to bogan FM (Triple M) and I heard an ad for the storm. It was the owner or manager of the Storm trying to get people to this weeks match by suggesting that we should “Shove it up ‘em” (them being Sydneysiders) by showing support for the Storm. Such a classy game.
By B. S. Fairman on May 30, 2006