It was not only in rugby union that professionals were banned from competing.
The Olympic Games was only for amateur athletes until 1986. Until then, professionals, including rugby league players, were banned from competing.
Tennis was amateur until 1968. There was no prize money in any of the established tournaments, including Wimbledon, the US, French, and Australian Opens. Only legitimate travel expenses could be reimbursed. Some of our very best tennis players, including the great Rod Laver spent their best years playing night after night in the professional circuit, earning a buck.
Cricket was effectively amateur in Australia until the Packer revolution. There was professionalism in English cricket, but it was mostly confined to the Lancashire League. Mainstream county cricket was mostly comprised of amateurs. The English captain was always an amateur for many years. Most grounds had separate dressing rooms for amateurs and professionals. An annual game was held between the "Gentlemen" and the "Players".
We lost some good cricketers because they either had to retire too young, or they went to play in the Lancashire League, and were then unavailable to play for Australia.
Are you feeling outraged about all this discrimination?
Amateurism was a very important ideal in the days of the British Empire. Rugby union was one of the last sports to allow full professionalism. But it was not the only one to disallow professionals from playing.
The comparison is ludicrous and as good a deflection as one could conjure up.There was nothing wrong with being amateur.But the audacity to earn money to cover injuries and loss of earnings was a natural progression.
The sports might have been banned from competing by their own bodies or by an International body such as the OP ,but they were not banned by their competitors.Or lobbied Govts to have them removed or not access insurances.
You need to look up the historical aspect.
Rugby union officials pressured employers at times to not employ rl players because they were paid.
No other sport on this planet ,has gone to the extent union has over the many decades to try to have a competitor removed or make their position intolerable or untenable.Even to the extent of flirtation with Govts such as Vichy and a SA apartheid Govt.
In just about any debate when this subject matter comes up,the either intentional or naive lack of acknowledgement by unionists to the degree of bastardry against rl,is there for all to see or hear.
Here is a classic example of shamateurism in union.
Wales 1895-1995
"When it came to Wales ,the union authorities adopted a different approach, which amounted to turning a blind eye to shamateurism.
Everyone knew that Welsh clubs were paying players long before the Northern Union came on the scene..
It was not a case of "going north " from Wales,but of coming North " from the West Country'
With a nod and wink, they were given tacit permission to carry on as before -and they did that for nearly 100 years until the advent of open professionalism.
For all the posturing to insist that they were occupying the moral high ground, there were plenty of devious deeds in the Valleys.
Players who had crossed the rugby divide were chucked out of clubhouses, scouts from the North were chased out of town-and all this
while money from the turnstiles or car parks was going into selected boots."
Ask Roy Masters when he was at St George about a high profile union player ,who refused a huge contract, and ended up with a home unit by remaining in his then code.
