Defending the South Sydney Rabbitohs in parliament in 1999
Sport is about loyalty, and I’ve always fought for the Rabbitohs. Here’s the motion I moved in 1999.
That this House:
1) notes the national and international status of Rugby League;
2) applauds the actions of rugby league supporters in demonstrating their support for clubs to remain in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition;
3) notes that teams which are financially sound, have superb facilities, a support base and an outstanding junior team development structure are vital to the future survival of rugby league;
4) notes that to abandon any sense of history, spirit and community involvement will destroy Rugby League;
5) recognises that local institutions play a central role in defining a sense of community and giving our youth role models to aspire to.;
6) notes that the Super League/ARL dispute resulted in significant disillusionment from Rugby League supporters and that any forced exclusion of teams will exacerbate this;
7) declares that Rugby League’s greatest shareholders are its fans; and
8) calls upon the NRL to include South Sydney in the 2000 competition.
My speech:
I am proud to move this motion today. Last Saturday evening, I gathered with 1,750 others at the largest function ever held at the Sydney Convention Centre—the `Save our Souths’ dinner. For the majority of those present $100 was a substantial spending commitment—certainly the most they have ever spent on an evening. But, like the 50,000 who marched from Redfern to Sydney Town Hall on 10 October, it was a gathering of true believers: people who believe that you cannot simply abandon any sense of history, spirit and community involvement in rugby league; people who understand that any organisation which ignores its past is destined to have no future; people who have lived their lives building human and social relationships that cannot be reduced to monetary value; people who recognise that local institutions play a central role in defining a sense of community—but, most importantly, people who have a right to be heard.
In the great democratic institution of this parliament, it is appropriate that we debate this issue, because when sport becomes simply corporate business it alienates those on whom it relies for support. Indeed, this debate goes to the very heart of the alienation which people are feeling about our society. We are told that we are being emotional, that our human interaction, relationships and historical links do not matter. These ignorant corporate executives do not understand that sport is about loyalty. It is about passion and emotion. Local institutions such as South Sydney form the fabric which binds people together and makes a cohesive society. A society is not made up of individual pay TV subscribers.
There is overwhelming public support for the people’s movement, the members of which are standing together so that South Sydney can stand alone. There is overwhelming contempt for entry criteria which do not include junior development. What sort of sustainable vision is that? We have seen criteria biased against those clubs who have stayed loyal to the Australian Rugby League and have since disappeared or been forced to amalgamate. Rugby league has lost some of its parts, but it cannot survive if it loses its soul.
Whilst money cannot buy respect, News Ltd and the NRL have the opportunity to earn respect by doing the right thing and listening to what the members of the public, the consumers, are saying. The product of rugby league can gain financial value if it can be demonstrated that it remains the people’s game. The criterion is retrospective in the short term and does not take into account the cyclical nature of sporting competition.
South Sydney is the world’s most successful rugby league team, winning 20 premierships. We have produced 61 internationals and five test captains. The 1925 Rabbitohs remain the only team to go through a season unbeaten. These facts might not matter in foreign corporate boardrooms, but they matter to the kids of Alexandria Street and Eveleigh Street. They matter to the mums and dads who hold cake stalls and raffles so that their kids can buy jumpers and socks and play on the weekend.
Like the working-class people who support them, South Sydney have always paid their way, unlike teams such as Melbourne and Cronulla, which would be insolvent were it not for News Ltd. People from this proud tradition know how to fight in parliament, the streets and in the court. We will fight as the representatives of those who had their hearts broken on 15 October. It is the courageous men and women who shed tears that night at South Sydney Rugby League Club who own the game, not the faceless men who have red and green blood on their hands.
There are a lot of ordinary Australians who long ago tired of those who speak of rationalisation and product. They have been waiting for something to fight for. South Sydney has given them that, and George Piggins has given them that leadership.
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