Support for the All Blacks drops in New Zealand...

[Iafeta]

Paley, New Zealand Rugby Unions were amatuers up until 1996. That's reality. A lot of them were farmers by day, or working a trade in between rugby union matches. Past All Black captains like Colin Meads, Brian Lochore, and the halfback from Taranaki whose name escapes me right now were farmers through and through which is where they made their living.

In New Zealand, Rugby League was always the professional code.

Also, here's something that shows why league was formed in the North of England, and yes, it was to do with money.

Although many factors played a part in the split, including the success of working class northern teams to the irritation of the gentry who ran the game, the main division was caused by the RFU decision to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing 'broken time payments' to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to southern teams who drew their players from the middle and upper classes who did not depend on such payments.

That is from wikipedia. Good luck dispelling that one with your bag of myths.

 

[Paley]

Paley, New Zealand Rugby Unions were amatuers up until 1996. That's reality. A lot of them were farmers by day, or working a trade in between rugby union matches. Past All Black captains like Colin Meads, Brian Lochore, and the halfback from Taranaki whose name escapes me right now were farmers through and through which is where they made their living.

In New Zealand, Rugby League was always the professional code.

Also, here's something that shows why league was formed in the North of England, and yes, it was to do with money.



That is from wikipedia. Good luck dispelling that one with your bag of myths.

There is nothing to dispel - the northern rugby football union was originally set up so for several reasons one of which is so that working class players could play the game without loss of vital income - the working week included saturday morning and having to miss the income from that to play a game of rugby meant hardship for many - middle class players under union rules could claim expenses but working class players couldn't - the broken time system was created to ensure players could lose a half days pay without financial penalty.

What does NZ union players being farmers have to do with anything? The Featherstone team which won the 1983 challenge cup final at Wembley were mostly full time miners - were they pro rugby players?

The only difference between union and rugby regarding professionalism was that rugby was honest about it while union lied about it.

 

[Iafeta]

What on earth are you on about?

What part of rugby union not being professional in New Zealand until 1996, with provided examples of players earning a living in between playing up until that stage do you not understand?

Frankly, I don't understand your argument whatsoever. Quite clearly rugby league was set up in the north of England with a view of supporting players financially to allow them to stay financially viable while playing the sport, while union kept to its amatuer roots, particularly in New Zealand.

Have you lived in New Zealand? I get the feeling you haven't, because if you did, you'd very obviously see the amatuerism in New Zealand Rugby Union pre 1996. Infact, you wouldn't even be debating it. Most people here would know of union players either international or first class players who were holding down full time jobs in between games as they weren't getting direct payments.

Remind me again what you're trying to argue?

 

[Paley]

What on earth are you on about?

What part of rugby union not being professional in New Zealand until 1996, with provided examples of players earning a living in between playing up until that stage do you not understand?

Frankly, I don't understand your argument whatsoever. Quite clearly rugby league was set up in the north of England with a view of supporting players financially to allow them to stay financially viable while playing the sport, while union kept to its amatuer roots, particularly in New Zealand.

Have you lived in New Zealand? I get the feeling you haven't, because if you did, you'd very obviously see the amatuerism in New Zealand Rugby Union pre 1996. Infact, you wouldn't even be debating it. Most people here would know of union players either international or first class players who were holding down full time jobs in between games as they weren't getting direct payments.

Remind me again what you're trying to argue?

Up until the 1995/96 season almost all RL players in the UK had full time jobs - the only fully pro team at the time were Wigan. Having a full time job doesn't mean you are an amateur player - no matter what the sport.

When Rugby League started in 1895 its rules on payments were stricter than the RFU rules with the effect that some clubs saw their player payments reduced in the first season.

 

[Polynesian Warrior]

Is this guy paranoid or what ? I've seen All Blacks guys in Auckland working fixing the roads around Auckland and a couple driving concrete truck in the 90s .