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Why winter sport will never be the same

Why winter sport will never be the same

The coronavirus-induced shutdown of sport has left rugby union and football on the brink of collapse, while the NRL is vulnerable to its cashed-up rival AFL.

No longer soaring, rugby union is on the verge of collapse in Australia. AP

Angus Grigg and Max Mason
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When war was declared in 1914, the two rugby codes were locked in a battle for dominance across Sydney.

The class-bound and staunchly amateur rugby union was already falling behind what would become the working man's game, but its place near the top of Australia's sporting pyramid would slip irrevocably when competition was cancelled "for the duration".

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Angus Grigg
Angus GriggNational affairs correspondentAngus Grigg is an investigative reporter based in Sydney. He has worked as a foreign correpondent in China and Indonesia, and has won two Walkley Awards. Connect with Angus on Twitter. Email Angus at agrigg@afr.com
Max Mason
Max MasonSenior courts and crime reporterMax Mason covers insolvency, courts, financial crime, cybercrime and corporate wrongdoing. A Walkley Award winner, Max’s journalism has also received awards from the National Press Club of Australia, the Kennedy Awards and Citibank. Message Max on Signal https://tinyurl.com/MaxMason Connect with Max on Twitter. Email Max at max.mason@afr.com

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