Kiwi kids denied chance to rough up and rattle Schooboy Roos

[The Partisan]

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY LEAGUE'S FINANCIAL STRIFE ENDS AUSTRALIAN SCHOOLBOYS GAMES

Story By : Adrian Proszenko Chief Rugby League Reporter

Australian Schoolboys proteges Liam Foran, Kieran Foran and Mitchell Pearce.

International rugby league has been dealt a savage blow after the traditional Australian Schoolboys fixture, a showcase of the game's best young talent, has been axed because the New Zealand Rugby League can't afford to send a team over.

The first Australian Schoolboys game was played in 1972 and been a regular annual event since 1979, when the green and golds sent a squad to England which included Ben Elias and Andrew Farrar.

Since then it has been the best pointer towards whether
talented teens make it into first grade, with a plethora of NRL stars over the past four decades coming through the system.

Jackson Hastings, Jayden Nikorima and Sione Mata'utia are among the 2013 participants, while David Klemmer, Jake Trbojevic, Junior Paulo and Kane Elgey are just some of the graduates from the class of 2011. The clashes have also been a platform to launch the careers of great Kiwi players, with Issac Luke, Manu Vatuvei and Greg Eastwood starring in a 2005 encounter in Melbourne.

The NZRL accepted an invitation from Australian Secondary Schools Rugby League to send across a team to play two matches - at Suncorp Stadium on September 27 and then a second encounter on Kougari Oval, Wynham, on October 2.

However, the time-honoured tradition is over after NZRL CEO Phil Holden wrote to ASSRL president Grant Edwards, informing his pupils weren't coming due to financial constraints.

The development is an embarrassment for the game, given the NRL has pledged to increase the standing of international fixtures after negotiating the first part of the new broadcast deal. It's a further blow given the proximity to the next World Cup and the fact that the senior Kangaroos won't participate in a senior international during the entire off season.

The Australian team was recently named and Edwards had to break the news to the players and their parents in a letter that was also obtained by Fairfax Media.

"The Executive of Australian Schoolboys Rugby League wish to apologise to you for lack of information at this stage regarding the Tests we had planned against New Zealand in September and October.

"We have received the following advice only recently from the CEO of New Zealand Rugby League. In an email on 5th August, Phil Holden informed me that … It is with deep regret that I need to advise you that New Zealand Rugby League(NZRL) has withdrawn from this year's two test matches with the Australian Schoolboys in Queensland, October 2015. I understand that this news and decision will be devastating for all of those involved, from players to team support and to you personally. I regret this,particularly given the history between us but I have no option.'
"This was entirely unexpected, and these circumstances are beyond our control …"

The NRL has been trying to find a way resurrect the matches but it's understood the NZRL have been firm in their stance. Attempts to contact the NZRL and Holden were unsuccessful.

Edwards said the recent meetings were so close that the two-match series had been split 1-1 for almost two decades.
"In his email on August 5 [Holden]he said the NZRL financial position is such that they can no longer participate in the international exchange," Edwards said.

"I'm devastated for our boys. I saw them in the dressing sheds after they were picked in the team and the pride they had in being selected for Australia was palpable. You could see in their eyes they were so keen to put that green and gold jersey on and play for Australia.

"We're very disappointed for the New Zealand kids who are in the same boat and would have been keen to represent their nation as well."
While Australia are the World Cup holders, the Kiwis have sparked a renewed interest in international football by beating the Kangaroos in their past four encounters, including the Four Nations final. The Kiwis are now the top-ranked side in world football, but there are fears their Schoolboys side will now be consigned to history.
 

[The Partisan]

Sourced from http://www.ourfootyteam.com/index.php

[nadera78]

The NZRL gets almost all of it's funding from the ANZAC Test and associated commercial deals, so now that the Aussies have unilaterally dumped that fixture the Kiwis ain't got no money! No good the Aussies complaining about it now, they should have considered the potential repercussions of their decisions. 

[Farmduck]

The NZRL gets almost all of it's funding from the ANZAC Test and associated commercial deals, so now that the Aussies have unilaterally dumped that fixture the Kiwis ain't got no money! No good the Aussies complaining about it now, they should have considered the potential repercussions of their decisions. 

 

 

Love your logic. NRL plans to scrap ANZAC Test from 2018 which drives the NZRL broke in 2015.

[kiwis 13 6]

Farmducks right anzac tests end in 2018. NZRL is funded by Kiwis gate receipts & merchandise sales, sponsorship & government sport funding they made a surplus of around $10,000 NZ dollars last year and at one point took a loan against there only asset there office block in order to meet there costs to deliver programs. NZ schoolboys have now gone the way of NZ residents sides selected on paper after a tournament and they dont play a game.

 

NZRL hasnt got the cash to do it this year but i will add the have a staff member whose job it is to advise kids about signing nrl contracts, which would be pretty generic advise... perhaps they could make this role redundant and spend that money on programs for new zealanders resident in the country! Or the NRL will one day help out NZRL with the money its milked out of nz rugby league for the last 20 years...

[Railway End]

Or the NRL will one day help out NZRL with the money its milked out of nz rugby league for the last 20 years...

You would think with the NRL supposedly on the verge of signing a $2bn TV rights deal that this situation could have been avoided.

How much money do the NRL waste on the meaningless City/Country game each year? Surely the money would be better spent on lower age group rep football like the schoolboys.

Do the RLIF have any take on this or are they only aligned to senior international teams?

[kiwis 13 6]

The NRL is basically a big corporation, its approach to NZ is very ruthless business in my opinion, while what it does in NZ is not illegal they wouldnt get away with it in Australia. Imagine if in OZ NRL only paid the 15 Australian NRL clubs there $7 million salary cap grant and nothing else to the game, no funding grants to NRL road train, city/country game in regional nsw, grants for development officers to nswrl, qrl, nsw country, Victoria/W.A/N.T etc, nothing to support jillaroo's or ozzies schoolboys sides!

 

Heres the break down 15 x $7million = $105 million x 5 (years of the last deal 2013 - 2018) = $525 million to NRL clubs in Oz over 5 years I believe last deal was $950 million (not including other revenue streams NZ TV rights, radio rights, merchandise, etc) this leaves the NRL $425 million over 5 years. Imagine if the junior & amatuer game in OZ saw $0 of that and had to be run only from Test matches revenue, sponsorship & government sport funding alone, how many current Australian rugby league programs would face funding short falls and need to be cut if that was the case?

 

Why does rugby league in NZ get no NRL road train visits, no local stars returning for a kiwi trial/origin/city vs country game, no NRL grants for development officers or juniors! Yet NZ TV rights are estimated at $20 AUD million per year or 100 million over 5 years (2013 -2018) NZ Warriors get $7 million grant x 5 years = $35 million leaving NRL a profit of $65 million over 5 years (would be more if counted nz radio rights & merchandise sales) none of which is ever seen in New Zealand again but money that comes from the money nz based league fans pay for TV subscriptions! NZRL funds local game in nz from government grants, sponsorship and test match revenue covering programs like kiwi ferns womens side, NZRL Premiership, national schools competition, jnr and senior kiwi side etc Last year NZRL's profit was $16,000 NZD that would be wiped out easily sending 25 or so people to Aussie for a couple weeks for a NZ schoolboy tour, so like the NZ residents side which hasnt had a game let alone a tour in donkeys years due to financial reasons. Looks like nz schoolboys maybe going same way

[Farmduck]

NZRL not giving up on U-18 game against Australian Schoolboys

While the previously scheduled tests have been canned, the NZRL said they were continuing to work with the Australian Rugby League Commission to reschedule the fixtures later in the year.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/71281284/NZRL-not-giving-up-on-U-18-game-against-Australian-Schoolboys

[Railway End]

The NRL is basically a big corporation, its approach to NZ is very ruthless business in my opinion, while what it does in NZ is not illegal they wouldnt get away with it in Australia. Imagine if in OZ NRL only paid the 15 Australian NRL clubs there $7 million salary cap grant and nothing else to the game, no funding grants to NRL road train, city/country game in regional nsw, grants for development officers to nswrl, qrl, nsw country, Victoria/W.A/N.T etc, nothing to support jillaroo's or ozzies schoolboys sides!

Heres the break down 15 x $7million = $105 million x 5 (years of the last deal 2013 - 2018) = $525 million to NRL clubs in Oz over 5 years I believe last deal was $950 million (not including other revenue streams NZ TV rights, radio rights, merchandise, etc) this leaves the NRL $425 million over 5 years. Imagine if the junior & amatuer game in OZ saw $0 of that and had to be run only from Test matches revenue, sponsorship & government sport funding alone, how many current Australian rugby league programs would face funding short falls and need to be cut if that was the case?

Why does rugby league in NZ get no NRL road train visits, no local stars returning for a kiwi trial/origin/city vs country game, no NRL grants for development officers or juniors! Yet NZ TV rights are estimated at $20 AUD million per year or 100 million over 5 years (2013 -2018) NZ Warriors get $7 million grant x 5 years = $35 million leaving NRL a profit of $65 million over 5 years (would be more if counted nz radio rights & merchandise sales) none of which is ever seen in New Zealand again but money that comes from the money nz based league fans pay for TV subscriptions! NZRL funds local game in nz from government grants, sponsorship and test match revenue covering programs like kiwi ferns womens side, NZRL Premiership, national schools competition, jnr and senior kiwi side etc Last year NZRL's profit was $16,000 NZD that would be wiped out easily sending 25 or so people to Aussie for a couple weeks for a NZ schoolboy tour, so like the NZ residents side which hasnt had a game let alone a tour in donkeys years due to financial reasons. Looks like nz schoolboys maybe going same way

Kiwi, you make a strong case for parity in the funding that NZRL receive from NRL central funds.

Taking into account the number of Kiwis playing in the NRL (at clubs other than the Warriors) you would think it's in the NRL's best interest to develop and promote the game in NZ to keep the production line flowing.

Is there a fear within Australia that they need to keep NZ at arms length as they could become too strong? I take it the possibility of a second NRL team is non starter if NRL funding arrangements are not changed?

[Railway End]

NZRL not giving up on U-18 game against Australian Schoolboys

While the previously scheduled tests have been canned, the NZRL said they were continuing to work with the Australian Rugby League Commission to reschedule the fixtures later in the year.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/71281284/NZRL-not-giving-up-on-U-18-game-against-Australian-Schoolboys

That's good news, let's hope it can be sorted for the sake of the lads from both countries.

[kiwis 13 6]

a lot of money has been made out NZ league rights for the NRL over the last 20 years other than the warriors salary cap grant non of it has been reinvested in the game here as far as im aware. To be fair a certain company owned by a Mr Murdoch pocketed most of it and maybe thats some karma coming back to bite the nz warriors & NZRL for signing up to super league!

 

But since 2013 NRL been running the show free of that individuals company direct involvement/management of the sport. none of the under 18 NZ schoolboys had anything to do with the past infact they werent even born when that super league/arl war occurred. NRL is currently making a truckload of $ from people living in NZ from TV rights etc, rugby league in NZ is heavily involved with the roughest/poorest parts of the country and for all the money spent by kiwis in nz on the sport no reinvestment into the game is made by the NRL with that money other than the nz warriors club grant which is the same as all clubs get, yet nrl makes grants to community game/ junior rep programs in oz, dosnt seem fair to me. To use ozzie slang rugby league in NZ deserves a drink! (Especially from money raised in NZ) or is the NRL the neo Don Bradman? An excellent performer but never bought his team mates who helped him shine a drink!

 

make that a Non alcoholic drink for the under 18's thanks

[Farmduck]

Is there a fear within Australia that they need to keep NZ at arms length as they could become too strong?

 

No, that idea exists purely in the minds of trolls on Brit RL forums.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/10287979/NZRL-in-bid-to-raise-transfer-fees-for-youngsters

 

Apart from the Warriors, all NRL clubs pay a fee for New Zealand league players which is shared between the player's club, district zone and the NZRL.

 

Tony Iro, the NZRL's high-performance general manager, said a number of NRL clubs had committed to investing in young players here and signalled they would pay for players to go through an academy in New Zealand before moving into the professional system.

 

 

On some of the previous points:

 

- There have always been NZ players recruited by Brit clubs and I presume Brit RL is on TV in NZ. Should they be paying the NZRL too? What about all the Aussies who watch the Premier League on Pay TV? Should the FA be paying an annual dividend to the OZ FA?

 

- If you want the NRL/ARLC to pay for RL in NZ, why not merge the 2 governing bodies - ANZRL? Lets face it, NZRL has built the game to 20,000 players in the same 100 years that the ARL has built the number to 536,000 (in 2013) (It's not the population difference. OZ would need 108 million people to have achieved the poor growth of the NZRL)

 

- Anybody who was at the ARL during the Super League War is gone now.

 

- Don't forget that the majority of development work in OZ is done by the clubs, not the NRL. I don't know how much effort the Warriors put into it, aside from their NYC team.

[Yakstorm]

It's back on - http://www.nrl.com/schoolboy-tests-to-go-ahead/tabid/10874/newsid/89087/default.aspx

[kiwis 13 6]

No, that idea exists purely in the minds of trolls on Brit RL forums.

 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/10287979/NZRL-in-bid-to-raise-transfer-fees-for-youngsters

 

Apart from the Warriors, all NRL clubs pay a fee for New Zealand league players which is shared between the player's club, district zone and the NZRL.

 

Tony Iro, the NZRL's high-performance general manager, said a number of NRL clubs had committed to investing in young players here and signalled they would pay for players to go through an academy in New Zealand before moving into the professional system.

 

 

On some of the previous points:

 

- There have always been NZ players recruited by Brit clubs and I presume Brit RL is on TV in NZ. Should they be paying the NZRL too? What about all the Aussies who watch the Premier League on Pay TV? Should the FA be paying an annual dividend to the OZ FA?

 

- If you want the NRL/ARLC to pay for RL in NZ, why not merge the 2 governing bodies - ANZRL? Lets face it, NZRL has built the game to 20,000 players in the same 100 years that the ARL has built the number to 536,000 (in 2013) (It's not the population difference. OZ would need 108 million people to have achieved the poor growth of the NZRL)

 

- Anybody who was at the ARL during the Super League War is gone now.

 

- Don't forget that the majority of development work in OZ is done by the clubs, not the NRL. I don't know how much effort the Warriors put into it, aside from their NYC team.

NZ Warriors have been in the nrl comp 20 years now, NRL should make the same per capita % reinvestment of profits in nz as it dose in australian junior game its only fair in my opinion.

 

As for uk priemer soccer paying australia who dont have a team in uk premiership! is that a serious comparison? Brits paying for NZ league err NO! again there is no kiwi side in super league and the nz super league rights would be a tiny amount of revenue compared to nz nrl tv rights and nz has a team in that comp! there should be a transfer fee for juniors which applies to all countries eg nz warriors signing Tonks & Bladwinson etc. NRL running league in Anzakistan well they already do if you hadn't noticed at the elite and under 20's level yet one part of Anzakistan gets no reinvestment of profits into the game while the West Island keeps it all!

 

Good to see the game is back on 

 

[DoubleD]

From an outside observer, this is what I can deduce:

NRL announce new TV deal in OZ with all the money going back into OZ apart from the Warriors.

NZ who weren't consulted spit their dummy out and take revenge by cancelling the schoolboys game

What actually will happen will be a realignment of how funds are distributed, splitting OZ and NZ so NZ has to generate their own funds but they will also keep the NZ TV rights money.

International TV rights will also be separate and used to develop the game going forward.

England did the same with Wales, Scotland and Ireland recently so they had to stand on their own 2 feet. The logic is sound as you get people on the ground in those countries running the show and not subsidised centrally but unfortunately there has been some short term pain in some of those regions........hopefully there'll be long term gain. Hopefully NZ will be better off with the the NZ TV rights deal

[kiwis 13 6]

The NZ TV rights money goes the NRL in Sydney there has been $0 reinvestment to water the tree! The 2015 NZ under 18 schoolboys being the 1st example of NRL reinvestment in NZ junior game in 20 years of Warriors being in the comp. I hope that reinvestment in grassroots game in NZ from a % of NRL's NZ TV rights profit becomes a permanent thing.

[DoubleD]

The NZ TV rights money goes the NRL in Sydney there has been $0 reinvestment to water the tree! The 2015 NZ under 18 schoolboys being the 1st example of NRL reinvestment in NZ junior game in 20 years of Warriors being in the comp. I hope that reinvestment in grassroots game in NZ from a % of NRL's NZ TV rights profit becomes a permanent thing.

 

Currently yes, but if you read the release from NRL on the latest tv rights, reading between the lines my understanding was that this might go directly back to NZRL and the international rights also done separately and kept separately by RLIF. It makes sense that things are separated and not subsidised and if true, should lead to an increase in funding to NZRL. That's me reading between the lines though so we'll see if it manifests in that.

 

Do NZRL not benefit from the Auckland nines comp?

[kiwis 13 6]

DD I dont think NZRL involved much with the Auckland 9's Duco a private sports promotion company set up by former kiwi rep dean lonergan, runs it with Auckland city council and NRL. NZRL's only involvement was Kiwi ferns Womens 9's side playing Australian womens 9's in 3 match series. 

 

Would be good to see NZRL residents mens 9's side play PNG or Fiji residents in a 3 match exhibition series at the Auckland 9's. Also id like to see the NZRL residents play a game against Warriors NSW cup side in the 2016 preseason. With the 2015 Anzac test getting rained out & being delayed 2 days extra expense of booking new flights, food and accomodation for 2 days looks like thats effected profit margin for the test that nzrl were relying on http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/71499358/cashstrapped-nzrl-expecting-another-small-return-from-anzac-test

 

These initiatives could still be done though a sponsor could cover nz residents & png or fijian side at 9's. NZ warriors could pay for NZ residents trial vs NSW Warriors side be a good preseason hit out for them and a way of helping the local game.