League’s grassroots struggling: Why some are being turned away amid a funding battle between state bodies and ARLC

Grassroots rugby league officials have declared they have been forgotten by the game’s leaders and warned more will walk away from the sport if the QRL loses its funding battle with the ARLC.

Grassroots rugby league officials have declared they have been forgotten by the game’s leaders and warned more will walk away from the sport if the QRL loses its funding battle with the ARLC.

A joint statement released last Wednesday by Queensland Rugby League and New South Wales Rugby League alleged issues with funding from the ARLC led to the state bodies launching litigation against the governing body.

Now, some of Queensland biggest clubs have thrown their support behind the cause.

Toowoomba Rugby League chairman Joe Hannant said he fears for the future of the game at the grassroots level.

Toowoomba Rugby League chairman Joe Hannant fears for the future of the game at the grassroots level Picture: Kevin Farmer

For more than decade Hannant has been a part of rugby league landscape – playing a leading hand in the rise of the game at junior and senior level.

Hannant said the game is faltering as leadership at the very top of the sport continues to strip back its support.

“It’s high time everyone stepped back to take a breath and look at where the game is,” Hannant said.

“NRL is a true spectacle, the number one sport in the country right now and State of Origin is equally impressive.

“At the statewide level the game is also doing really.

“Underneath all that though grassroots footy is struggling and you don’t have to go back all that far, not even a decade, to see how much better the game was doing.

“The grassroots game, the foundation of the game, has been forgotten by the leadership at the very top of the game.

“It’s diabolical and will only get worse.

“It (the extra pressure) is turning people away from the game.

“The support needs to come from the top (ARLC) down because without the grassroots we don’t have the elite level of the game.”

Tweed Seagulls CEO Brendon Lindsay said the Southeast Queensland region is struggling to keep the game affordable and safe for players.

“Community clubs are looking to improve facilities and are really struggling to gain assistance and funding support to that,” Lindsay said.

“I think now that it’s been lodged, the conversations will continue.

“For us on the Coast and at Tweed, it’s real important that our game continues to invest in grassroots because that’s where our next generation of players come from.

“Our volunteers are doing it tough and they’re the lifeblood of our game,” he said.

“The Gold Coast participation has grown year on year and northern New South Wales had a really healthy increase too.

“So it’s really important that the funding continues to be adequate and continuing.”

The ARLC has been approached for comment.

Originally published as League’s grassroots struggling: Why some are being turned away amid a funding battle between state bodies and ARLC