58 days of rugby revolution: Murdoch the ringmaster as the Packer circus collapses
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Your support makes all the difference.On the eve of the World Cup final, the biggest financial deal in the history of rugby union is made public. Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation announces a deal paying pounds 370m for television rights to international and provincial rugby in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
News breaks that Kerry Packer is backing a breakaway rugby circus. It transpires that he wants to sign 900 leading world-wide players on contract. Packer's proposed competition is called the World Rugby Championship and is fronted by Ross Turnbull, the former Wallaby prop.
In reaction to news that 140 leading Courage League players have signed provisional WRC contacts, leading English club representatives attend a hastily convened meeting in London to discuss ways of inducing the players to stay with the establishment. It is agreed that pressure must be exerted on the RFU to put together a tempting alternative package.
The leading unions across the globe commence a negative publicity campaign, rubbishing the WRC and claiming its plans are flawed and that there is no finance in place.
Four leading England players meet Twickenham officials to see what the RFU can offer. The WRC contracts are worth upwards of pounds 100,000; the RFU raise the figure that internationals can expect to receive from pounds 30,000 to pounds 60,000.
News breaks that almost the entire Springbok squad has signed with WRC. The South African RFU (Sarfu) concedes that it is losing the battle. "We are in a wild west situation with a lot of cowboys in town," says Edward Griffiths, Sarfu's chief executive.
In Sun City in South Africa, the Springboks meet to discuss their future and are presented with contracts by Louis Luyt, the Sarfu president.
Turnbull flies to South Africa intending to reassure the Springboks that the brightest future lies not with the establishment but with WRC.
The first serious blow to WRC is delivered when 25 of the 28-man Springbok squad agree to sign Sarfu contracts. "The threat to rugby in this country has been thwarted," Griffiths says. Tim Gavin, the Wallaby No 8, announces that he is to sign an ARFU contract.
WRC win a court order in Cape Town temporarily preventing the Springboks from signing contracts with Sarfu. Court papers declare that the Springboks were intimidated by Louis Luyt into rejecting WRC. Francois Pienaar, the South African Captain, is revealed as a WRC agent who is due to make pounds 187,000 for his work.
Leading All Blacks meet and express confidence in the WRC offer. They release a statement saying: "If another option was not on the table, more than half the current All Blacks would have been lost to rugby league."
Jason Little and Pat Howard, the Australian internationals, and Ieuan Evans, the leading Welsh player, all declare that they will not sign WRC contracts.
The young All Blacks Jeff Wilson and Josh Kronfeld elect to stay with the New Zealand RFU. However, the WRC claim to have signed 453 players worldwide, half their world-wide target. In Sydney, the ARFU and the WRC agree to meet in order to seek a compromise.
In the Cape Town Supreme Court, the WRC lose their legal bid to prevent the Springbok players from signing contracts with Sarfu.
Over 100 South African provincial players release a statement announcing that, though the Springboks have allied themselves to Sarfu, they have signed WRC contracts.
The WRC plans end in failure after a meeting in Melbourne where the Wallabies pledge their allegiance to the ARFU. The WRC agree to free them from any WRC contracts. Phil Kearns, the Wallaby captain, tells a press conference that the agreement could not have been struck without the help of WRC negotiators. The WRC also agree to free the South African players from their contracts.
Sean Fitzpatrick signs an NZRFU contract, saying that he expects the All Black squad to follow suit. In England, the RFU says that though the England players have lost their bargaining tool, the offered income will not be cut.
Jonah Lomu, the All Black star of the World Cup, signs an NZRFU contract. The All Black establishment is delighted; in Lomu they have fought off the threat not only of WRC but also rugby league.
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