Steve Irons (Swan, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

As a sportsman and an avid watcher of sports, I congratulate the member for Flynn for his motion, and I rise today to support that motion and to recognise the centenary of Australian Rugby League and its contribution to the Australian society, culture and community. I also wish to congratulate and recognise the contributions of players, volunteers, officials, parents, children and others who have made this sport a truly great contributor to the Australian identity. It has been 100 years since Rugby League first reached out to its supporters in Australia, and the number answering that call has grown every year since. The centenary of Rugby League is a salute to those who pioneered the game, to those who through each generation have passed it on stronger and to those who will take it into the future.

Rugby League in Australia started as a rebel football competition established in defiance of New South Wales Rugby Union. With its mix of hardness and athleticism, it has grown to become one of the most popular of Australian sports, a skilful, fast-moving game that has the passionate support of its fans. Rugby League also has solid foundations with the working class of Australia. Before the big money contracts of recent years, league was a part-time game. Training was held at the end of a hard day’s work and games were played on weekends. Although the game has come a long way to be the high-paying spectacle it is today, none of the passion and hardness that made the game so popular has been lost. Rugby League is a tough game, both physically and mentally, and anyone who has ever played the game can attest to this. Some of the great players of our time such as Mal Meninga and the King, Wally Lewis, were some of the toughest men in Australian sports.

At a local level the game of Rugby League has seen a huge boost in popularity and participation. New junior and reserve grade teams are emerging right across the country, willing to participate in their growing local competitions. Rugby League is a great character-building sport. It instils in players a sense of camaraderie, teamwork and discipline and improves physical fitness. Rugby League, both at a club level and in the national competition, has always supported and encouraged participation from the Indigenous community. Superstars such as Matt Bowen from the North Queensland Cowboys have become outstanding role models for young Indigenous players and helped build the game in communities outside our metropolitan centres.

In Perth the Western Reds joined the Australian Rugby League for the 1995 season. However, Rugby League was not new to the people of WA, as it had been played competitively in Perth since the end of World War II. During the war servicemen from the west were exposed to Rugby League games while they were in Army training camps in Darwin and on visits to Brisbane and Sydney. Also, large numbers of servicemen from the eastern states remained in Perth after marrying WA girls, bringing with them their love of the game. The arrival of the 1946 British Lions triggered the growing movement to establish Rugby League in Perth, and a club competition soon commenced.

The first competition was formed from established Rugby Union clubs that crossed over to Rugby League. While Rugby League never reached any great heights in the west, it was certainly well above the standard of any efforts in Melbourne or Adelaide. In 1992 the NSWRL announced that WARL’s submission was successful, and the Perth Pumas, which were later renamed the Western Reds, debuted in 1995. In their first season the Western Reds established a formidable home ground record, ultimately winning eight of 11 games in Perth. Their season ended in a respectable 11th position out of the 20 clubs competing. Then Super League started in 1997 and the Western Reds, which became known as Perth Super League, were one of the clubs in the 10-team competition. Unfortunately the Perth side was closed down at the completion of the season. The loss of Perth ended premiership Rugby League’s brief flirtation with Western Australia. This is unfortunate, as the ARL and Super League had a long-established rugby league community to build upon and nurture with the Western Reds.

My electorate of Swan is the proud home of the South Perth Lions as well as the Central District Football Club Bulldogs. Coincidentally, both clubs will be celebrating their 60th anniversaries this year, with each one having formed in 1948. Currently the South Perth Lions are the most successful club in WA and have won more club championships and more premierships than any other club in WA. The club history includes 15 first grade premierships and 21 club championships. So far this year the Lions remain undefeated and are sitting on top of the ladder. The Bulldogs are also one of the most successful clubs in WA and currently occupy a very respectable fourth place, after winning four out of seven games this season. The club history includes 10 titles and seven times as runners-up. In summation, Rugby League truly has come a long way over the past century. Although it is unfortunate that a national team failed to be firmly established in WA, it remains that fans in the west persevered and local clubs are performing stronger than ever. With any luck, well before the next century Australia may see a truly national league.

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