Joint Crisis Committee: Scrum At Me, Bro: Super League War, Australian Rugby League vs. Super League, 1995
Welcome to Australia, 1995: boardrooms are battlegrounds, loyalty is a contact sport, and the fate of Australian rugby league is hanging by a threadbare jersey. This isn’t just a story of rugger—it’s a full-blown war, the Super League War. A bitter power struggle is shaking rugby to its core. The kind fought with contracts instead of tackles, and backroom deals instead of bruises.
Australian broadcasting corporation Optus Vision had a monopoly on rugby viewership thanks to holding exclusive broadcasting rights with the Australian Rugby League. However, the ARL’s ambitious attempt to expand the league to the rest of Australia alienated the existing teams, and rival company News Corporation saw an opportunity. In the heart of the conflict, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation is charging down the field with its breakaway new "Super League" dream: more money, more flash, and a global audience. On the other side, the Australian Rugby League (ARL) is digging in its boots to protect tradition, grassroots pride, and the game Australians have known for decades. What started as a dispute over broadcasting rights has now exploded into a full-scale crisis involving rival competitions, legal battles, player poaching, and split loyalties.
In this committee, delegates will take on the roles of key players—ARL officials, Super League executives, club owners, media representatives, sports journalists, and government figures—all with competing visions for the game’s future. The ARL will have to manage their league expansion beyond New South Wales and Queensland while placating the influential Sydney teams. Meanwhile, the Super League will work to ensure its inaugural season is a success by securing stadiums, teams, and airtime. Steeped in sport, politics, business, and identity, delegates will rewrite the rules of the game and ensure their respective league comes out on top.
So tape up, talk tough, and get ready to scrum. Because in this committee, every decision changes the scoreboard. The game is on—and the stakes have never been higher.
