Battle lines on three fronts: The RFU and the lost war against professionalism

Williams, PJ

Abstract

As rugby union's development in the late twentieth century brought it to resemble other professional team sports, The Rugby Football Union remained steadfast in retaining the game's officially amateur status. This essay attempts to identify a critical period in which a combination of events set in motion forces for change the authorities would be unable to contain. This turning point in the sport's recent history caused the RFU to defend its increasingly-isolated position against three separate, though related, pressure groups: the senior English clubs, the national team and the progressive elements on the International Rugby Board.

Keywords: Sport; rugby union; professionalism;amateurism; RFU

Citation

Williams, P. (2002). Battle lines on three fronts: The RFU and the lost war against professionalism. International Journal of the History of Sport, 19(4), 114-136. https://doi.org/10.1080/714001793

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2002
• Deposit Date: Dec 10, 2012
• Journal: The International Journal of the History of Sport
• Print ISSN: 0952-3367
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 114-136
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/714001793
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/714001793