NATIONAL RUGBY LEAGUE ANNUAL REPORT 2020

CONTENTS

2020 HIGHLIGHTS 04

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN 12

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION (ARLC) 16

MESSAGE FROM THE CEO 20

SECTION 1 – COMPETITIONS REPORT 24

SECTION 2 – PARTNERSHIPS REPORT 48

SECTION 3 – FAN EXPERIENCE REPORT 54

SECTION 4 – RISK, PERFORMANCE & INTEGRITY 62

SECTION 5 – PARTICIPATION & COMMUNITY 66

SECTION 6 – FINANCIAL RESULTS 2020 90

SECTION 7 – CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT 2020 96

1st

0

49,155

6%

2020 Highlights

SPORTING CODE

IN AUSTRALIA

TO RETURN FROM THE COVID PANDEMIC

POSITIVE COVID TESTS

WORLD RECORD CROWD DURING COVID AT GAME III OF AMPOL STATE OF ORIGIN

INCREASE IN VIEWERSHIP ACROSS ALL SCREENS

2020 Highlights

Win the NRL Telstra Premiership.

It was the second time they’ve won

the Grand Final in the last five years.

Storm

2020 Highlights

Win NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership.

The Broncos made it a three-peat.

Broncos

Peter V’landys AM

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY

LEAGUE COMMISSION

(ARLC)

The Australian Rugby League Commission is the single

controlling body and administrator of the game in Australia, made

up of eight independent Commissioners. The ARLC’s objectives

are set out in its Constitution. They are to:

game from the junior to elite levels and generally to act in the

best interests of the game;

bodies of the game in the States and Territories of Australia,

including the NSWRL and QRL;

representative games, recognising that the selection and

management of the State of Origin teams representing

New South Wales and Queensland shall be undertaken

in accordance with the ARLC Constitution;

Limited and organisations controlling the game in other

countries in the fostering and control of the game of rugby

league throughout the world;

physical, cultural and intellectual welfare of young people

in the community and, in particular, the rugby league

community; and

recreation, particularly rugby league football, in the interests

of the social welfare of young persons.

Peter V’landys AM

Chairman

Mr V’landys is Chief Executive

and board member with

Racing NSW, a position he has

held since February 2004.

Mr V’landys holds a Bachelor

of Commerce degree

majoring in Accounting and

serves across a number

of boards associated with

the thoroughbred racing

industry. Mr V’landys is

also Chairman of the Fairy

Godfather Foundation which

assists people in Australia in

necessitous circumstances.

In 2014, Mr V’landys was

appointed as a Member of

the Order of Australia for his

services to the Racing industry.

The Hon. Peter Beattie AC

Mr Beattie is a Director

of the Medical Research

Commercialisation Fund,

Ambassador for Life Sciences

Queensland, joint adjunct

professor at the University

of Queensland’s Australian

Institute for Bioengineering

& Nanotechnology & Institute

for Molecular Bioscience and

former Chairman of GOLDOC.

Mr Beattie is also a Director of

the International Rugby League

Board and Director of the Asia

Pacific Rugby League Board.

Mr Beattie served as the

36th Premier of Queensland

and Minister for Trade from

1998 to 2007 and Leader of

the Australian Labor Party in

that state from 1996 to 2007

and Health Minister from

1995 to 1996.

Professor Megan Davis

Professor Davis is Pro Vice

Chancellor and the Balnaves

Chair in Constitutional Law,

UNSW. Professor Davis is an

Acting Commissioner of the

NSW Land and Environment

Court and an expert member

of the United Nations Expert

Mechanism on the Rights

of Indigenous People in

Geneva. Professor Davis

is a constitutional law

professor specialising in

constitutional design and

constitution building and one

of the nation’s leading public

constitutional lawyers.

Wayne Pearce OAM

Mr Pearce is a former

Kangaroos representative who

also captained and coached

the New South Wales State

of Origin side. Mr Pearce is

a business consultant and

Director of Wayne Pearce

Advantage and the Wayne

Pearce Academy. Mr Pearce

is also a Director of the

International Rugby League

Board and Chair of the

ARLC Innovation Committee.

Mr Pearce holds an Order

of Australia medal for

services to Rugby League

and the community.

Australian Rugby League

Commission (ARLC)

Dr Gary Weiss AM

Dr Weiss is Executive Director

of Ariadne Australia Ltd,

Chairman of Ardent Leisure

Limited and Estia Health

Limited, and a director of

Cromwell Property Group,

Thorney Opportunities Limited,

Hearts & Minds Investments

Limited, Victor Chang Cardiac

Research Institute and The

Centre for Independent

Studies. Dr Weiss was

appointed as a Member of the

Order of Australia in 2019 for

significant services to business

and to the community.

The Hon. Kate Jones

Ms Jones served as a

Minister in the Queensland

Government for more than

eight years in a range of

portfolios including Minister

for State Development,

Education, Tourism and

Major Events and Innovation

and Climate Change. She

also served as Minister for

the Commonwealth Games

in 2018. Ms Jones has a

Masters in Environmental Law

(ANU) and a Bachelor of Arts,

Journalism Major (QUT).

Tony McGrath

Mr McGrath is a former partner

at KPMG and is a co-founder

of McGrathNicol. Mr McGrath

is a Director of the National

Foundation for Medical

Research and a Non-Executive

Director for Servcorp Limited.

Mr McGrath is Chair of the

Commission’s Risk, Investment

Andrew Abdo

the most extraordinary in the game’s history.

A competition that was suspended, reshaped,

played under unprecedented exposure before

ultimately crowning the Melbourne Storm

and Brisbane Broncos as Premiers on Grand

Finals Day.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced the season

to be suspended after Round 2 on 23 March.

The NRL then created and implemented strict

biosecurity protocols, based on the advice

of health experts, which allowed the players

to resume training and ultimately playing. That

included relocating the New Zealand Warriors

from Auckland to Tamworth and then ultimately

the NSW Central Coast for the remainder

of the season. The Melbourne Storm were also

relocated to the Sunshine Coast after a second

virus outbreak in Victoria.

On 28 May, the NRL became one of the

first sports in the world to resume after

the COVID-19 suspension with a revamped

20-round competition. On 18 November the

2020 season concluded with a world-record

COVID crowd at the Ampol State of Origin

decider won by the Queensland Maroons.

During the season suspension the ARLC

introduced new rule changes designed to make

the game faster, more entertaining and free

flowing for fans. The changes included reverting

from a two-person on-field referee model to one.

A ‘six again’ rule, which saw six more tackles

awarded rather than a penalty for standard

infringements around the ruck, was introduced

to ensure the game did not slow down with

one referee.

The rule changes delivered on the

ARLC’s vision to make the game

faster, more entertaining and

unpredictable. The 2020 season

saw 223 more minutes of ball

in play, 2453 more play the balls,

126 more tries, 112 more line

breaks and 533 fewer penalties.

The Commission highlighted its commitment

to women’s sport when the Telstra NRLW

Premiership became the only women’s football

code to complete a full season with all four

teams, including the Warriors, able to field

competitive squads.

SUCCESS OF THE

2020 SEASON

Ivan and Nathan Cleary at

ANZ Stadium for the preliminary

finals where minor premiers,

the Penrith Panthers, defeated

South Sydney Rabbitohs 20-16.

BIOSECURITY

PROTOCOLS

Section One

Competitions Report

The 2020 Telstra Premiership season was able to proceed

without interruption from Round 3 because of the creation

of a world-leading biosecurity bubble. An average 850 players,

coaching staff and match officials were part of the ‘Apollo Bubble’

designed to ensure players remained free of COVID-19.

The integrity of the biosecurity protocols gave State governments

the confidence to provide the NRL with exemptions to cross

border closures on a ‘Fly In, Fly Out’ basis for game day.

Well before the competition resumed on 28 May, the ARLC and

the NRL had to forge through research and data and carefully

design a strategy which would ensure the safety of players, staff

and the community, as well as the integrity of the competition.

Project Apollo was formed on 1 April, shortly after the NRL

Telstra Premiership was shut down. Established by the ARLC,

it was chaired by Commissioner Wayne Pearce.

With the guidance of biosecurity experts Professor David Heslop

and Dr Cassy Workman the biosecurity protocols were created.

The strict biosecurity protocols were drawn up for a set number

of players and staff – which over the course of the season

and various competitions, numbered a total of 1300 – for both

training and match days. Players undertook daily temperature

checks and daily symptom checks through a specially designed

app, households were screened, players were quarantined under

certain circumstances, while teams flew to interstate venues

on game days via chartered flights.

Players and staff that were part of the biosecurity bubble

sacrificed significant daily liberties, which at times included

only being allowed to go to training and their residence,

to ensure the season could continue safely.

2020 saw 100,000 health screens and

temperature checks conducted and

550 COVID tests carried out, not a single

positive case recorded.

At venues, teams and selected broadcast and Club and NRL staff

operated out of a ‘Clean’ Zone, carefully and strictly distinguished

from the ‘Venue’ Zone, which included media, additional Club

staff and ultimately, supporters and Members.

Version 1 of the Apollo Protocols, sent to Clubs in early April,

numbered 34 pages, but by the time Queensland lifted the

Ampol State of Origin shield on 18 November – and considering

numerous updates based on government restrictions and advice,

there were more than 20 versions.

The players’ adherence to these protocols allowed the

competition to resume and prosper; they were unable to

undertake certain activities but still able to complete what began

as an unlikely season but finished as an unforgettable one.

Women in League Round

The game paid tribute to more than half

a million females involved across all aspects

and levels of the sport during the Harvey

Norman Women in League Round.

The 2020 Harvey Norman Women in League Round carried the

theme ‘From Strength to Strength’, paying tribute to the growing

number of women and girls making an invaluable contribution

to rugby league.

The 14th Women in League Round was also an opportunity

to acknowledge the growing strength and numbers of females

in our game – whether that be in leadership positions at clubs,

players, coaches and referees involved in matches, or volunteers

keeping junior leagues going across the country.

Players paid tribute during this round to the special women in

their lives who had supported them, inspired them and believed

in them throughout their time in the game.

SPECIAL

EVENTS

Club Nines

The NRL expanded the footprint of the game

– as well as the Nines concept – in the NRL Nines

Perth event, staged at Perth’s HBF Park in February.

Not only was the Nines concept

taken to Perth for the first time,

an NRLW Nines event was also born.

In the men’s tournament, watched on by 14,739 fans,

North Queensland Cowboys defeated St George

Illawarra 23-14 in the Grand Final. In the inaugural

NRLW tournament, the Dragons emerged victorious,

defeating Brisbane Broncos 28-4 in the decider.

Section One

Section One

Competitions Report

Ampol State of Origin

Origin’s first ever post-Premiership series, as well as the first

match in South Australia, produced a thrilling finish as

Queensland’s unheralded squad emerged victorious over

the New South Wales Blues.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ampol

State of Origin series was shifted to November. Despite that,

a 50 per cent reduced capacity crowd of 25,218 watched

Queensland stun the Blues 18-14 at Adelaide in Game One.

The Blues responded with a 34-10 win in Game Two

in front of 36,212 people at ANZ Stadium in Sydney,

setting up a decider at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

The Blues were heavily favoured in Game Three,

yet the Maroons triumphed 20-14, in front of the biggest

sporting crowd in the world (49,155) following the rise

of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The series was watched on by a cumulative

audience of more than 7.5 million, while the

Wally Lewis Medal was claimed by Maroons

five-eighth Cameron Munster.

Sunshine Coast Stadium played host to a capacity crowd

of 4833 under COVID restrictions as Queensland won

24-18 in dramatic fashion.

Tarryn Aiken was awarded the Nellie Doherty Medal, while

an audience of more than 500,000 people watched the contest.

Harvey Norman Women’s Origin

Another first for the game was achieved with

the first-ever women’s State of Origin clash

in Queensland – not to mention Queensland’s

first win since the women’s interstate match

became an Origin contest.

Canberra Raiders centre Jarrod Croker became the first

player under the age of 30 to score 2000 points at premiership

level when he kicked his second goal against the Gold Coast

Titans at GIO Stadium in Round One. Croker was 29 years and

184 days old when he reached the mark, which was previously

held by Jason Taylor. Croker became the seventh player

to score 2000 premiership points.

Penrith Panthers achieved a Club record nine consecutive

wins when they defeated the Warriors 18-12 at Central Coast

Stadium in Round 14. The Panthers’ winning streak went

on to total 17 matches.

Melbourne Storm Captain Cameron Smith continued to reach

major milestones in 2020. Melbourne’s victory over Canberra

at GIO Stadium in Round Nine brought up the 300th win

of Smith’s NRL career. Smith is one of only eight players

in premiership history who have won over 200 games and

became the first to notch the remarkable milestone of 300 wins.

Smith has achieved a career winning percentage of 71.4.

Smith also became the oldest Grand Final winner in the history

of the premiership when he steered the Storm to the title

at the age of 37 years and 130 days, surpassing the previous

record of St George captain-coach Ken Kearney, who was

36 years and 123 days in 1960.

MILESTONES

Two of the game’s best coaches reached

significant milestones in 2020; Canberra

Raiders’ Ricky Stuart and Manly Warringah

Sea Eagles’ Des Hasler both reached the

400-game feat.

Stuart became the eighth coach to reach the 400 mark when

his team played Wests Tigers at Campbelltown Stadium

in Round Five, while Hasler became the ninth coach to achieve

the milestone in the Sea Eagles’ clash with the Warriors

at Lottoland in Round 13.

Sydney Roosters utility Mitchell Aubusson became the most

capped player in the Club’s history when he took the field

at the Sydney Cricket Ground against Cronulla in Round 19.

Aubusson surpassed the record of Anthony Minichiello,

set in 2014, when he played his 303rd game.

Warriors second-rower Adam Blair became the most capped

New Zealand-born player in premiership history when

he played the 312th game of his career in his team’s clash with

the Newcastle Knights in Round One. Blair surpassed former

Canberra and Warriors legend Ruben Wiki to set the new mark.

Section One

Competitions Report

THE 300 CLUB

Section One

Competitions Report

Two players, both representing Sydney Roosters,

Competitions Report

The following players – including for the first time

female rugby league stars – were recognised

as the Official Retiring Class of 2020:

NAME CLUB

2020

RETIRING CLASS

NAME CLUB

NAME CLUB

NAME CLUB

Section One

Competitions Report

THE DALLY M AWARD

Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton

capped a stunning season by winning his first

Dally M Medal, and becoming just the third

Raiders player to win the prestigious award.

Due to the restrictions prompted by COVID-19, the ceremony

was held in three separate studios at Fox Sports, Artarmon,

and featured state-of-the-art graphics by the Fox Sports

broadcast. The ceremony featured technology used by Disney

to present a live virtual event – it was the first time such

technology had been used in Australia.

In a remarkable finish going down to the final round, Wighton

topped polling over Parramatta Eels fullback Clint Gutherson

and Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary.

Brisbane Broncos Captain Ali Brigginshaw was honoured

with the Dally M Female Player of the Year award.

The 2020 Dally M Awards for the first time featured

a full 13-man team as its Team of the Year.

The Warriors, the Club which moved to NSW in order for

the NRL Competition to resume, were honoured with the

Provan-Summons Medal – the Spirit of the Game award.

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck was awarded Captain of the Year.

AWARD NAME

(Canberra Raiders)

(Penrith Panthers)

(Melbourne Storm)

(Parramatta Eels)

(South Sydney Rabbitohs)

(South Sydney Rabbitohs)

(Brisbane Broncos)

(Canberra Raiders)

Cody Ramsey

(Sydney Roosters)

(Warriors)

(Sydney Roosters)

AWARD NAME

(Canberra Raiders)

(Brisbane Broncos)

(Penrith Panthers)

(Warriors)

(Wests Tigers)

(Canberra Raiders)

James Fisher-Harris

(Penrith Panthers)

(Penrith Panthers)

Tohu Harris

(Warriors)

(Penrith Panthers)

(Wests Tigers)

Josh Addo-Carr

(Melbourne Storm)

(Penrith Panthers)

Kotoni Staggs

(Brisbane Broncos)

Section One

Competitions Report

ACADEMIC TEAM OF THE YEAR

2020 Academic Male of the Year – Anthony Don

2020 Academic Female of the Year – Kirra Dib

Rhys Kennedy – Brisbane Broncos

Completed Bachelor of Exercise Science and Cert III in Fitness,

University of Wollongong

Connor Tracey – Cronulla Sutherland Sharks

Completed a Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Services,

currently completing a Post Grad Cert in Chartered Financial

Analyst, CFA Institute

Anthony Don – Gold Coast Titans

Completed a Masters of Business Administration 2020

& Completed a Bachelor of Education 2011,

University of New England

Christian Welch – Melbourne Storm

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce and currently completing

a Masters of Business, University of New South Wales

Jayden Brailey – Newcastle Knights

Currently completing a Bachelor of Exercise Sports Science,

Australian Catholic University

Jake Granville – North Queensland Cowboys

Currently completing a Carpentry Apprenticeship and

Diploma of Business Management & Hospitality

Reed Mahoney – Parramatta Eels

Completed Cert IV in Business, Education Support & III & IV

Fitness and Diploma in Business, currently completing a Bachelor

Sport Business, Australian College of Physical Education

Adam Clune – St George Illawarra Dragons

Completed a Bachelor of Laws-Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)

with distinction, University of Wollongong

Euan Aitken – St George Illawarra Dragons

Completed a Cert IV in Fitness, currently completing

a Bachelor of Exercise Science and Completed a Cert IV

in New Small Business, University of Wollongong

Nat Butcher – Sydney Roosters

Completed Diploma in Business & Cert IV in Small Business

Management, currently completing a Bachelor of Business

Administration, Australian Catholic University

Matt Ikuvalu – Sydney Roosters

Completed Certificate III in Fitness and Cert IV in Community

& Recreation, currently completing a Bachelor of Teaching

(Honours), University of Newcastle

Alex Twal – Wests Tigers

Completed a Bachelor of Commerce (2020) & Cert III in Fitness,

Australian Catholic University

Kirra Dibb – Warriors

Currently completing a Bachelor of Applied Science –

Exercise Physiology, University of Sydney

MATCH OFFICIALS

The NRL’s group of 22 full-time elite match officials

excelled in 2020 even after substantial changes forced

by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The NRL moved back to one on-field referee,

from two, following the suspension of the

Premiership. The move was ultimately deemed

successful, as was the ‘six again’ rule – another

substantial rule change which brought about

a more exciting brand of Rugby League.

Gerard Sutton refereed his 6th Grand Final, in the decider

between Penrith Panthers and Melbourne Storm, as well

as all three Ampol State of Origin matches (the decider was

Sutton’s 19th consecutive Origin match). Todd Smith officiated

in his first Grand Final and State of Origin as touch judge

in 2020. Belinda Sharpe refereed her first NRL Telstra Women’s

Premiership Grand Final.

Like the players and club staff, the NRL match officials operated

out of a biosecurity bubble in 2020, and should be congratulated

on their significant contribution to the success of the season.

Milestones

300 Games

Ashley Klein

200 Games

Henry Perenara

100 Games

David Munro

Retirements

Gavin Badger

Referee – 354 Games

Touch Judge – 57 Games

Video Referee – 10 Games

Timothy Alouani-Roby

Referee – 22 Games

Touch Judge – 93 Games

NRL Telstra Premiership

Grand Final Match Officials

Gerard Sutton

Chris Butler and Todd Smith

Steve Chiddy

NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership

Grand Final Match Officials

Belinda Sharpe

Liam Kennedy and Drew Oultram

Adam Maher

Don 'Bandy' Adams^

Robert Orchard

Doug Page

Frank Myler

Bill McCarthy

Paul Carroll

Tony Branson^

Harry Slaughter

Mitch Cronin

Joe Goicoechea

Noel Bissett

Tony Coll

Rick Muru

Arthur Summons^

Bob Dimond^

Noel Kelly^

Tom Searle

Barry Cross

Bill Ramsey

Peter Burnicle

Don Regan

Warren Kimberley

Dick McKelvey

Bal Numapo

Ross Warner

Col Weir

Kevin Hogan

Keith Middleton^

Clarrie Jeffreys

Jack Danzey

Laurie Fagan

Joel Dark

John Fahey

Peter Newell

John Whittaker

Ernie Hills

Ray Blacklock

Wal Hourn

Mick Fitzsimmons

Warren Simmons

Greg Growden

Jim Schroder

Keith Titmuss

Jack Stewart

Mick Falla

Gary Parcell^

Ray Cupic

Neil Ryan*

Tom Cocking*

Doug Ricketson*

Frank Foster*

Frank Mulcare

Ted Curran

Brian James^

Manfred Moore

Paul Fisher

Mark Harris^

Grant Goldman

John (Jack) Hardman

Glen Graham

John Perry

Greg Hawick^

Ian Sommer

Don Furner^

* late 2019

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the strength of the NRL’s

commercial and government partnerships.

Despite significant challenges in the global economy, all of the

game’s major commercial partners continued their support

of rugby league during the pandemic in 2020.

Naming Rights partner Telstra not only continued its long

association with the NRL, which now spans two decades,

but expanded the relationship by securing the Naming Rights

partnership of the NRL Telstra Women’s Premiership.

Telstra now holds Naming Rights to both the Men’s and

Women’s Premierships. The 2021 season will mark Telstra’s

20th year as Naming Rights Partner of the NRL Telstra

Premiership. It remains one of the longest and most enduring

partnerships in Australian sport.

The 2020 season saw the return of one of Australia’s most

iconic brands, Ampol, to rugby league. Ampol secured naming

rights to the State of Origin series, including the Women’s State

of Origin from 2021.

Ampol began transitioning back into the retail market in 2020

and Ampol State of Origin will provide the perfect platform

to assist Ampol to raise its national brand awareness.

Hisense Australia became an Official Partner of the NRL Telstra

Premiership, Ampol State of Origin and Naming Rights partner

of Thursday Night Football in 2020.

The NRL was also pleased to welcome Cadbury and Rexona

as new partners in 2020.

Major partners including Sportsbet, Carlton United Breweries,

KFC, Diageo Australia, Youi and Harvey Norman continued their

support for rugby league throughout the 2020 season.

PARTNERSHIPS REPORT

Section Two

Partnerships Report

OUR VALUED PARTNERS

Broadcast Commercial

A partnerships innovation in 2020 was to light up the goal

posts at the NRL Nines tournament, the NRL Telstra Premiership

men’s and women’s Grand Finals and throughout the Ampol

State of Origin series in 2020. The activation was supported

by KFC and saw the goal posts light up when tries were scored,

goals kicked and decisions reviewed by the KFC Bunker.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic the NRL reached

an agreement for Holden to cease as Naming Rights

partner of State of Origin given the automotive company

was leaving the Australian market. The NRL thanks Holden

for their partnership and support over the years.

As part of the reorganisation of the NRL business the

Commercial team merged with the Government team to form

a Partnerships team focussed on growing and servicing the

commercial and government partnerships in rugby league.

Aligning the two teams under one department provides stronger

continuity to grow the game’s most important partnerships.

The game’s partnerships with Federal and State Governments

strengthened during the 2020 season.

The Partnerships team worked closely with governments

to secure relevant approvals and exemptions to ensure the

2020 NRL Telstra Premiership could resume. Without

government support the season would not have proceeded.

Firstly, the Australian Government and Department of Home

Affairs provided approval for the New Zealand Warriors to enter

Australia and the NSW Government provided approval for the

squad to quarantine in Tamworth for two weeks.

The NSW, Queensland, ACT and Victorian Governments

also provided approvals under the public health orders to

allow the NRL Telstra Premiership to resume from the season

suspension. The Queensland Government also provided border

exemptions to allow teams to fly in and out of Queensland

while the border was closed.

Section Two

Partnerships Report

The Partnerships team acknowledges and thanks the

Australian, Queensland, NSW and ACT Governments for

their support in ensuring the 2020 season resumed and

completed 180 matches. Government partnerships were

essential to the season continuing.

The NRL’s partnership with the NSW Government and

Destination NSW continued in 2020 with the support

of the NRL Telstra Premiership and NRL Telstra Women’s

Premiership Grand Finals.

Ampol State of Origin was played in Adelaide for the very

first time in 2020. The NRL acknowledges its partnership

with the South Australian Government and South Australian

Tourism Commission for hosting the match and making

the game a reality.

Earlier in the year Tourism Western Australia supported the

NRL Nines being played in Perth at HBF Park for the first time.

In 2020, the Australian Government continued their financial

commitment to programs which grow rugby league, enhance

social cohesion and assist students with furthering their studies.

The Australian Government provided funding for the

School to Work Program, State of Mind, VET Promotion

Program, Move it Aus, Battlefields to Footy Fields and

various programs in the Pacific.

The Queensland and NSW Governments also provided

funding towards State of Mind.

The NSW and Victorian Governments continued support

of the In League In Harmony program.

The NSW Government also provided pilot funding for the

‘Six Again’ program which was delivered at Frank Baxter

Juvenile Detention Facility throughout the year.

The NRL acknowledges and thanks

all commercial and government partners

for their support of rugby league

which is developed and run by the NRL in partnership with

Telstra, NRL Clubs, QRL and NSWRL – were put into gear

in 2020 with Fans using the network as a point of call for

information during the season suspension and entertainment

when the season resumed.

The NRL Digital Network averaged 3.1 million

weekly users in the 2020 season, an increase

of 13 per cent on 2019.

A massive 1.83 million fans have registered to NRL Account,

enabling a tailored experience and benefits across the NRL

Network. The fan identity platform saw 39 per cent growth

this year. Fan engagement with NRL Tipping and NRL Fantasy

increased substantially in 2020 with tipping registrations

increasing by 34 per cent on 2019 and Fantasy registrations

increasing by 15.4 per cent.

A notable change to the viewing habits of fans during the

2020 season meant a significant uplift in the number of

fans watching multiple games per round via the NRL App.

The game’s partnership with naming rights sponsor Telstra

continued to deepen and Telstra Live Pass streams saw

double-digit growth year on year.

Fan engagement with the NRLW continued to grow during

the 2020 season with page views across the NRLW draw,

ladder and statistics on the NRL Digital Network increasing

by 34 per cent on 2019. The game’s dedicated women’s

social media channels averaged 25 per cent audience growth

across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The whole of game social media footprint increased to

5.1 million, growth of four per cent since the end of 2019.

There was a significant increase in youth focused social

channels including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok.

NRL’s Digital capability played a significant role in assisting

the game’s Apollo biosecurity protocols. The NRL Check Up

mobile app was developed and launched in under 2 weeks

to allow players to report their daily movements to ensure

compliance with the protocols.

Collaboration with NRL media partners meant more exceptional

content delivered to fans, including a Fan Poll delivered with

News mastheads to check the pulse of the punters on on-field

and off-field rugby league issues.

In 2021, NRL Digital will work more closely with NRL Marketing,

Consumer, Hospitality and Events as part of the new Fan

Experience team – enabling innovation, consistency and

efficient delivery of experiences across all the game’s

touchpoints with fans.

This work has begun, with the re-launch of NRL Shop in

October 2020 featuring deeper integration to the NRL marketing

ecosystem and NRL Account.

2021 will also see the NRL Digital’s in-house content creation

and production capability be set-up to more efficiently service

the content needs of the broader game.

DIGITAL

The NRL is focussed on the performance

and wellbeing of its people and managing

risks associated with the game for the

benefit of all stakeholders.

The Risk, Performance & Integrity Department incorporates

the NRL’s integrity, legal and risk functions as well as wellbeing

and education, and the people and culture. This new group

was created as part of the reorganisation of the business in October 2020.

The Department’s role is to manage risk for the ARLC and

NRL and to enable and develop a high-performance culture

across our people, including our elite athletes.

Player Wellbeing & Education

The game continued to enhance education pathways

to prepare its players for life after rugby league in 2020.

A mandatory policy that all players aged 20 or younger must

complete at least eight hours of education or work a week

to be eligible for selection was reintroduced. The rule is aimed

to change the perceptions players have around study and

its influence on their on-field performance.

The NRL is pleased to report that of the 550 NRL contracted

players, 93 have completed or are currently completing

a university degree while seven players are completing

a Masters Degree – across 32 different universities in Australia.

A further 106 players are currently completing or have completed

a trade qualification, 66 of those are in carpentry and 22 are

in building and construction. Of the current or recently retired

NRL players, 160 were also provided with Education Grants

provided by the RLPA throughout the year.

2020 presented significant challenges for players and officials

who sacrificed liberties to enter the game’s biosecurity bubble

so the NRL season could continue.

The NRL’s Wellbeing and Education team worked closely

with all 16 Clubs to monitor the wellbeing of players in the

bubble, particularly those who live alone. Each NRL Club had

an experienced Wellbeing Manager within the bubble that

allowed the players and staff with direct access to support.

During the 2020 season the NRL conducted

a Player Wellbeing Survey to monitor player

views on the support they were receiving.

Players were asked to rank the wellbeing and

education support provided by their Club and

staff from 1 to 5. The average score across

the 16 Clubs was a very strong 4.22 out of 5.

Section Four

Risk, Performance & Integrity

RISK, PERFORMANCE

& INTEGRITY

Integrity

The NRL remains committed to upholding the

integrity and reputation of the game and takes

a strong stance against behaviour that does not

comply with the NRL’s rules.

NRL rules are administered by the NRL Integrity and Compliance

Unit, a multidisciplinary team which is based in a secure area

of Rugby League Central. The NRL continues to invest heavily

in the unit’s personnel, support and capabilities to ensure the

NRL adopts world-leading practices in overseeing the integrity

of the competition and its people.

The Integrity and Compliance Unit works closely with state

and federal law enforcement agencies and regulators to share

information to uphold the integrity of the sport. The NRL’s

extensive network of Integrity and Product Fee Agreements with

Wagering Operations continued to provide critical information

sharing and risk management procedures.

2020 saw a significant increase in reports to the Integrity and

Compliance Unit as a result of the NRL’s strict biosecurity

protocol regime. Personnel investigated alleged breaches

of protocols to ensure no infection risk to the playing group

or the wider community as a result of breaching protocols.

The Integrity and Compliance Unit uncovered a small number

of breaches which led to player and official sanctions which

were announced during the 2020 season. Overall, compliance

to the protocols was very strong. The NRL thanks the general

public for their assistance during this period.

The NRL continues to conduct a comprehensive Sport

Integrity Australia approved anti-doping program which

is aimed at eradicating the use of performance enhancing

substances. NRL players also continue to be tested as part

of Sport Integrity Australia’s own program.

The game’s Illicit and Hazardous Drugs program, which was

developed in conjunction with the Rugby League Players

Association, continues. Part of that program includes education

The 2020 Community Rugby League season was significantly

impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated

restrictions on community sport.

Pleasingly, through the efforts of countless

volunteers across Australia, local league

competitions were able to commence across

Australia with the exception of Victoria.

Many hours were spent by tireless club volunteers in planning

and implementing COVID Safety plans and recruiting additional

volunteers to manage the increased requirements of hosting

local matches.

Volunteer accreditation and training courses were redesigned

to comply with social distancing requirements, and with a greater

emphasis on online learning, allowed over 17,000 volunteers

to complete or update their training, enabling local competitions to commence.

The NRL MySideline online registration and competition

management system was launched at the commencement

of the 2020 season, enabling a significantly improved participant

and volunteer registration experience. The system was purpose

built for rugby league Clubs and will continue to evolve over the coming years.

Like many other rugby league activities, our school programs

and events were redesigned to ensure a COVID Safe

environment, enabling thousands of school students the

opportunity to participate in rugby league competitions,

events and clinics nationally.

Player Development Framework

Implementation of the Player Development Framework has

continued in 2020 with Queensland and the Affiliated States

adopting the changes.

Development of the Framework has been guided by a significant

amount of evidence-based research and is designed to present

rugby league as a more attractive option for families along with

the goal of ensuring the positive experience within the game

creates a lifelong passion for the sport.

Research indicated that 25 percent of Junior Players who leave

the sport, do so because of an over-competitive environment and

the adult behaviours that accompany the pursuit of a premiership

in the junior ages. It was also identified that a more gradual

introduction to tackling across the younger years will assist

in the recruitment of new players to Junior Clubs and enhance

the ability of the game to engage with a broader market

As part of the changes adopted, children will be introduced to the

sport through Rugby League Tag in Under 6s, while tackling in the

Under 7s is delayed until later in the season after completion of

the TackleReady program, which is designed to provide kids with

confidence and competence in all tackle situations. In a move

to allow kids to enjoy the sport without the pressures and adult

impacts associated with premiership competitions, competition

points and Grand Finals do not commence until Under 13s.

The NRL expects the slower introduction

to tackling as part of the Framework will

reduce barriers to new participants joining

the sport and create a more enjoyable

environment for young players.

PARTICIPATION

League Stars

The NRL’s introductory rugby league program

League Stars – which was launched in 2019 –

continued successfully in 2020, in compliance

with COVID-19 restrictions.

The program focuses on introducing boys and girls aged

five to 12 to rugby league skills through fun, developmentally

appropriate non-contact activities and games.

Numbers remained strong in regions where the program

could continue.

Schoolboy Cup

The 45-year tradition of the NRL Schoolboy Cup continued in 2020

despite COVID-19 interruptions. Like the Telstra Premiership,

the Schoolboy Cup was suspended before resuming. COVID

restrictions meant the competition proceeded as a knockout

competition between New South Wales schools and with

a separate competition conducted in Queensland. No national

final was conducted due to COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Patrician Brothers College, Blacktown defeated Westfield Sports

High School 22-16 in the NSW Final, while Kirwan State High School

defeated Palm Beach Currumbin State High School 24-20 in QLD.

2020 was a breakout year for the competition

with games live streamed via The Daily Telegraph

website. The NRL thanks The Daily Telegraph

for their support of the Schoolboy Cup.

The NRL expects the competition to return to normal in 2021.

Section Five

Participation & Community

Section Five

Participation & Community

Bega Trial Game

The NRL, with the support of both Clubs, relocated a trial

match between the Parramatta Eels and the Penrith Panthers

on 29 February to the Sapphire Coast town of Bega, which

had been ravaged by bushfires.

The match was relocated to encourage people

to visit and stay in the town. The match sold out

and an estimated $4.7 million was injected into

the local economy.

The NRL’s broadcast partners Fox Sports, Channel 9 and Telstra

partnered to deliver a national broadcast for the game to promote

the region as a tourist destination to the rest of Australia.

Both Clubs held community activations to meet locals and also

assisted with clean-up operations.

Road To Regions

The NRL, with the support of our 16 Clubs,

expanded the annual Road to Regions program

in 2020 to assist communities impacted

by drought and bushfires.

Clubs committed their playing squads to provide assistance

and lift spirits in bushfire-affected communities across New

South Wales and Victoria while groups of players visited

drought-affected areas in Western Queensland.

The expansion of the Road to Regions program was part of

rugby league’s whole of game response to the bushfire crisis.

Kayo NRL Community Awards

The Kayo Community Awards took on

added importance in 2020 given the

impact of bushfires, drought and COVID-19.

The Lithgow Bears Rugby League Football Club were named the

game’s Grassroots Club of the Year after becoming one of the

saviours of the region during the bushfires. The club donated

their dressing rooms for the use of showers for those who lost

their homes while the club’s grounds became a makeshift refuge

area for residents, pets and wildlife impacted by the fires.

Joseph Chidiac was named Volunteer of the Year. Mr Chidiac

is a board member of Wheelchair Rugby League, and has

devoted 25 years to the game, in particular creating and growing

Wheelchair Rugby League competitions. He was a driving force

in establishing Wheelchair Rugby League competitions initially

in New South Wales followed by Queensland and now the

Northern Territory.

NRL player Connor Watson was awarded the 2020 Ken Stephen

Medal for his contribution to the Cultural Choice Association

(CCA) ‘Boots for Brighter Futures’ initiative which ran during

this year’s Indigenous Round. Connor is committed to raising

awareness and supporting the prevention of youth suicide

among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and its related

causes in Australia.

NRLW star Georgia Hale was awarded the Veronica White Medal

for dedicating herself to helping children, rural communities,

the intellectually disabled and a wide range of charities.

Both awards were presented to the players on-field before the

kick-off to the 2020 NRL Telstra Premiership Grand Final.

Section Five

Participation & Community

All-Stars

The Indigenous All-Stars was a highlight of the 2020 season.

A crowd of 23,599 attended Cbus Super Stadium on the Gold

Coast for the Indigenous vs Mãori All-Stars. The Mãori men

defeated the All-Stars 30-16 while the Indigenous women

defeated the Mãori team 10-4.

The event attracted year on year viewership

growth in both games. The men’s game recorded

a viewership increase of 22 per cent while the

women’s game increased by 47 per cent. Overall

633,481 viewers watched the men’s game.

Attendance also increased in 2020 with the 23,599 at the match,

a 26 per cent increase on 2019.

Players took a stance against bullying during the week.

Nine-year-old bullying victim Quaden Bayles led the All-Stars

team onto the field for the start of the game, attracting

international media attention.

The week also included cultural immersion activities and

Section Five

Participation & Community

School to Work

The School to Work program received a contract extension

during 2020 that will see the program remain in place until

June 2023. An additional 1000 students will benefit from the

program across these three years.

In 2020, 419 Indigenous students involved in the

School to Work program completed their HSC

and 244 students achieved a 26-week outcome

at either a university or in employment.

The School to Work team introduced Yarning Circles with

prominent Indigenous community members during COVID-19

to keep participants engaged. This included current and former

NRL players Preston Campbell and Joel Thompson, The Hon.

Linda Burney MP, AFL legend Eddie Betts and actor Rob Collins.

State of Mind

The NRL delivered 116 workshops to more than

2000 participants, with 29 workshops delivered

online during the pandemic.

A highlight of the year was transforming the on-field State

of Origin logo in Game II of the Ampol State of Origin series

to ‘State of Mind’ to promote the mental health program

to over two million television viewers.

This year saw the new State of Mind program ‘Get in the GAAME’

created for young people aged 13 to 17 years old. The program

is designed to increase mental health literacy, reduce the stigma

around mental illness, start positive conversations and enable

connections across communities.

Due to COVID-19 the ‘Get in the GAAME’ workshop was

redesigned to be delivered online to clubs and a digital resource

was created to support learning.

The State of Mind program continued to play a big role in the NRL

Harvey Norman All-Stars event and delivered the State of Mind

program to all four of the Indigenous and Mãori All-Stars teams,

team staff and the Youth Summit participants. Through the

support of the Federal Government the program continued

to be delivered to Indigenous communities across the country.

In League In Harmony

The social cohesion program continued to be delivered across

New South Wales and Victoria, with the ongoing support of the

Victorian and NSW Government.

Despite the pandemic, the program reached 954 young people

through the seven-week program mixed with online and

face-to-face delivery, uniting young people and inspiring leaders

of tomorrow.

A total of 551 participants took part face to

face while 403 completed the program online

Voice Against Violence

The NRL Voice Against Violence program

continued to deliver the important messages

across our communities seeing 1179 participants

across Australia, PNG, Fiji and Tonga.

The NRL, across Australia and Pacific Nations, took part in the

16 Days of Activism campaign. The NRL renewed its commitment

to preventing violence against women, signing a joint Our Watch

Leadership statement, with other sporting codes, pledging to use

its collective influence to progress gender equality.

2020 saw the delivery of the VAV program to nine NRL Clubs

(prior to the COVID bubble).

COUNTRY PARTICIPANTS IN WORKSHOPS

TOTAL 1179

Section Five

Participation & Community

Pacific Outreach programs

Despite the pandemic, the NRL Pacific Outreach

programs reached over 44,000 participants

across PNG, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga in 2020.

The Voice Against Violence program continued to be delivered

across the Pacific with 30 workshops conducted with

570 participants. This program is core to our gender equality

work and aligns with our overall goal to ensure that rugby league

provides a safe, welcoming and inclusive community space

for Pacific Island women and girls, and people with a disability.

In a year with few international events, a major highlight before

the closure of international borders occurred in Port Moresby,

Papua New Guinea when the PNGRFL played host to a pre-season

match between the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and the

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. This match was the centrepiece

of a visit which also included community outreach and cultural

activities over four days. The match drew a crowd of 10,213 and

was streamed almost 42,000 times across NRL digital platforms.

The event was supported by the Australian Government through

the PacificAus Sports program.

NSWRL Report

The NSWRL, like other sports and the wider

community, faced challenging times in the 2020

season due to the COVID-19 pandemic but

worked hard to ensure community football and

some of its major competitions could return

by the middle of the year.

The season started strongly in February with the Junior

Representative season kicking off for UNE SG Ball Cup, Harvey

Norman Tarsha Gale Cup and UNE Harold Matthews Cup in

the Sydney metropolitan area and the Laurie Daley Cup and

Andrew Johns Cup in regional NSW. There was also one round

played for Canterbury Cup NSW, Harvey Norman NSW Women’s

Premiership and Jersey Flegg Cup before all competitions had to

be suspended and/or cancelled in March because of COVID-19.

The NSWRL worked closely with the NSW State Government

on COVID-19 Return to Play safety protocols for when restrictions

across the state were lifted and competitions could resume.

The NSW State Government announced in June that community

football and senior competitions could resume training from

1 July with competitions to resume from 18 July. The NSWRL

was thrilled to see the response from community clubs who

had to submit COVID-19 safety plans with 84,875 participants

registering to play for the shortened season. The breakdown

included 68,852 male and 16,053 female players across all age

groups (Under 6s to Open Age) with the majority of Grand Finals

played on the weekend of 26-27 September.

The NSWRL was just as pleased to announce the return of some

of its major competitions including the Presidents Cup, the

Harvey Norman NSW Women’s Premiership and the Sydney

Shield from 18 July. The Presidents Cup was a unique

competition which took part in place of the Ron Massey Cup and

involved teams from regional NSW and the Sydney metropolitan

area. The NSWRL held its Grand Final Day at Bankwest Stadium

on 27 September with all three deciders being closely fought.

Maitland Pickers beat Glebe-Burwood Wolves 17-16 to take out

the Presidents Cup, Central Coast Roosters downed North

Sydney Bears 16-10 to win the Harvey Norman NSW Women’s

Premiership, while Cronulla-Caringbah Sharks staged a stunning

second half comeback to beat Ryde-Eastwood Hawks 32-30 in

the Sydney Shield. The success of the Presidents Cup competition

will see it retained as a knockout finals tournament in 2021.

The NSWRL was also able to resume its successful Try League

program in 2020, which introduces the game of rugby league

to Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities.

There were eight programs attended by almost 200 children in

locations including Coffs Harbour, Lismore, Glenwood, The Ponds,

Revesby, Parramatta and Minchinbury. It was the first time that

programs had been held at Coffs Harbour and Lismore while the

clinic at Parramatta attracted a record of 58 participants.

Other community initiatives or events included Brydens Lawyers

NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler visiting areas in regional NSW

to deliver important road safety messages for Transport for

NSW’s The Knock-On Effect campaign, or on mental fitness.

The NSWRL also came up with a range of measures worth more

than $500,000 to assist communities which had been affected

by the bushfires including providing free football boots for

children aged 12 and under and funding insurance premiums.

The move to shift the Ampol State of Origin series and Harvey

Norman NSW Women’s Origin to the end of the NRL season in

November led to a different approach from the coaching staffs.

Brydens Lawyers NSW Blues coach Brad Fittler started naming

his extended 27-man squad following the conclusion of the NRL

season and added to it every week as further teams were

eliminated from the NRL’s Finals Series. The squad went into a

biosecurity bubble at the Pullman Magenta Shores at the Central

Coast on 19 October to begin preparations for Game One in

Adelaide on 4 November. NSW took an early lead but were unable

to hold off a fast-finishing Queensland to lose Game One 18-14.

The Blues regrouped for Game Two in Sydney on 11 November

and turned in a dominant performance to win the match 34-10

and lock the series up at 1-all. Early in the first half of Game

Three in Brisbane NSW suffered a setback when captain James

Tedesco left the field concussed. They trailed early before fighting

back in the second half but it wasn’t enough and they lost the

match 24-18 to surrender the Shield for the first time in two years.

STATE LEAGUE

REPORTS

Section Five

Participation & Community

The Harvey Norman Women’s Origin match was played at the

Sunshine Coast for the first time since the interstate series

was rebranded as Origin in 2018. The Harvey Norman NSW

Women’s team was also placed in a biosecurity bubble and based

themselves on the Sunshine Coast from 30 October to prepare

for the match on 13 November. The team trailed Queensland

for most of the match before staging a stirring second half

fightback to go down 24-18 and hand the Shield over for the

first time in two years.

The NSWRL also announced in 2020 its One State Strategic

Plan (Competitions) which is designed to bring the game in

regional NSW and the Sydney metropolitan area closer together

and set it up for more success into the future. The blueprint for

the state comes after the NSWRL and the CRL came together

as one entity at the end of 2019 and began looking at ways to

administer the game more efficiently across the state to increase

the recruitment and retention of all participants. The restructure

of the state into six zones, which are all approximately equal

in size for participation numbers, will promote a competitive

balance, reduce travel times for younger age groups, and will

allow for more efficient and consistent governance structures.

The NSWRL has also decided to increase the age groups for

the Harold Matthews Cup (Under 17s), Harvey Norman Tarsha

Gale Cup and SG Ball Cup (Under 19s), and the Jersey Flegg Cup

Queensland Rugby League Report

Stunning on-field performances from

Queensland’s leading male and female teams

typified the state’s fighting spirit in 2020.

Like many sporting organisations, the Queensland Rugby League

was confronted with enormous challenges throughout the year.

At one point, all community rugby league, statewide competitions

and representative matches were postponed as the COVID-19

pandemic gripped the nation.

All was not lost though, and through strong leadership from both

the Board and Senior Leadership Team, the QRL mapped a way

out – not just for this year, but the future as well.

Fast track to November, and with the National Rugby League

leading the way with the return of the game at elite level,

Queensland fans were rejoicing one of the greatest State

of Origin series wins of all time.

In a series that drew comparisons with the little-known Maroons

of 1995, master coach Wayne Bennett guided a young Queensland

team to a memorable 2-1 series victory over the Blues.

The victory, secured in front of nearly 50,000 Queensland fans

at Suncorp Stadium, came just days after the Harvey Norman

Queensland Maroons had beaten NSW to claim the women’s

Origin on the Sunshine Coast.

These jubilant scenes were matched right across the state during

the spring months as many junior and senior community rugby

league teams celebrated their grand finals.

This was a fitting reward for the QRL, its regions, leagues

and Clubs, who worked collaboratively with the Queensland

Government to develop thorough Return to Play guidelines that

set the benchmark across other sports and industries.

The foresight of the QRL decision makers was instrumental to

this success, as staff across all departments remained in their

roles despite the uncertainty.

With a focus on its people, their wellbeing and communication,

the QRL raised the bar throughout the crisis.

The time spent without football was used wisely, as QRL teams

broke into smaller working groups to plan for the future.

Collectively, the organisation made a decision to come out better

on the other side and that is exactly how it transpired, with the

QRL now in a strong position financially.

A snapshot of other 2020 highlights and achievements include:

increased by 59 per cent).

approach across all offices and regions.

of relationships between existing partners, who all stuck solid,

including Auswide Bank, BHP, Intrust Super, Queensland

Government, XXXX and Hastings Deering.

as the Diversity and Inclusion Framework.

Facebook live Q&A sessions with volunteers throughout

the Return to Play process.

Strategy, and Diversity and Inclusion Framework.

The depth of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria

meant no play was possible in the 2020 season.

During the extended period of restrictions the focus of activity

was to support the local rugby league community clubs through

their challenges and maintain the engagement of volunteers

to ensure that all clubs are sustainable for 2021. The Victorian

Government was outstanding in its support for community

sport with funding, advocacy and other resource support,

for which this opportunity was maximised by NRL Victoria

for community clubs.

Despite the lockdown restrictions, facility projects across the

state progressed. This included the State Centre project, with

final designs being completed which will allow construction

to commence early 2021. The facility will be completed late

2022 and will include a show pitch, three community access

competition pitches, a pavilion and car parking. The facility will

house administration and high-performance programs for both

NRL Victoria and Touch Football Victoria. Throughout 2020,

other community facility developments have been fast-tracked

by the State Government which will see new facilities for

community clubs or upgraded facilities in 2021 and beyond

to the value of over $25m across 20 per cent of rugby league

clubs in Victoria.

The Rugby League season in 2020 cast many

challenges for the NRLSA Team; having

to contend with the impacts of COVID-19

on community football, game development,

and the rescheduling of State of Origin.

After the 2019 success of the ISC Spring 9s in 2019 and the

planned introduction of two new metropolitan clubs; M.E.C

Murray Bridge Swans and South Adelaide Bulldogs, there was

a great deal of work undertaken to ensure that the COVID-19

impacts did not lead to any club’s demise. Despite challenging

times the metropolitan league forged ahead, seeing six clubs

participating in the competition including senior men’s, women’s

and junior competitions. Participation grew by 8 per cent.

The Limestone Coast competition was severely impacted during

2020. Due to restrictions cross-border friends from Victoria

were unable to enter the competition. The league adapted and

played a shortened competition for South Australian-based

teams; participation in the Limestone grew 4 per cent in

2020 with the addition of rugby league tag. The League Stars

program was also introduced for the first time, resulting

in over 100 participants joining the program.

State of Origin was a great segue into the ISC Spring 9s being

played in front of a COVID-capacity crowd of 27,000 at the

iconic Adelaide oval. The second annual ISC Spring 9s was

a great success. It saw the introduction of juniors in tackle and

tag formats of the game. The highlight being the introduction

of Under 16s girls, Under 16s boys and mixed rugby league tag.

NRLSA was happy to report an overall participation growth

of 7 per cent in 2020 across the metropolitan and Limestone

coast club competitions.

NRL ACROSS AUSTRALIA

Section Five - Participation & Community

NRL NT was fortunate in being one of the

first Rugby League competitions to commence

in 2020.

Competitions were able to be conducted as close to a normal

season as possible in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs with

participation remaining strong across the Northern Territory

recording a smaller than expected reduction of only 9 per cent

in registered participants.

The NRL announced the appointment of Steve Shervill, Channel

Nine Darwin General Manager, as the new ARLC NT Chair.

A passionate rugby league supporter, Steve will be a tremendous

asset for the sport in the Northern Territory over the coming years.

Despite a challenging year, there were many highlights for the

game including:

premiership since 2014 against defending premiers

Litchfield Bears.

women’s team proving too strong against Palmerston Raiders

in the women’s Grand Final.

Rugby Football League Grand Final.

All-Stars vs Territory All-Stars teams competing across

multiple age groups held in conjunction with NAIDOC Week

celebrating Indigenous culture.

to recognise 2020 season achievements and showcase

Northern Territory rugby league talent.

the Macquarie Sports Clinic attracting over 100 children from

regional and remote areas.

NRL WA was able to safely manage and deliver

a delayed, but very successful season in both

junior and senior football.

The Grand Final of the senior ‘Smarter than Smoking’ Premiership

saw one of the most dramatic, high-quality games in the code’s

71-year history in WA, with the Joondalup Giants winning their

first flag in 20 years when they defeated a courageous

Rockingham Sharks. Played in front of a capacity sold out

crowd, the clash went into double extra time before a field goal

to Gus Marshall sealed the match after 106 minutes of play.

The All Flags Signs and Banners Women’s Grand Final was won

by the Ellenbrook Rabbitohs.

One of the real highlights of the year was the ongoing partnership

between NRL WA and NITV which saw the weekly ‘Cash Converters

Match of the Round’ not only streamed live each weekend, but also

replayed nationally on Tuesday evenings through NITV’s free-to-air

SBS channel as well as its Foxtel subscription platform, providing

valuable state-wide and coast-to-coast promotion.

NRL WA also staged an outstanding Junior Grand Final Day

at the newly refurbished Willagee Bears home ground which

saw five different clubs win titles across six age groups spanning

Under 12s to Under 16s, plus Girls League Tag.

When COVID protocols lifted the NRL WA GDO Team were able

to resume all major development programs including League

Stars, High School competitions, Sporting Schools activations,

Gala Days and the PDF.

NRL WA also entered into an alliance with the City of Kwinana

which has provided an excellent facility to accommodate our

new Training and Education Centre at Thomas Oval, Medina.

NRL WA acknowledges and thanks the West Australian

Government for its guidance and support through the pandemic

and also our loyal commercial partners who stood by us during

a very confronting and challenging year.

Despite all the disruption caused by the pandemic, NRL WA

posted only a 4.6 per cent decrease in registration numbers.

Section Five

Participation & Community

Touch Football Australia

The 2020 year began with excitement and

promise for NRL Touch Football.

The momentum of the National Rugby League/Touch Football

Australia partnership was continuing to advance through the

built-for-purpose, brand-new registration and competition

management system, MySideline, for both touch football

and rugby league.

NRL Clubs continued to demonstrate their support for Touch,

with the Rabbitohs, Bulldogs, Sea Eagles, Titans, Broncos,

Cowboys and Warriors all committing to field both men’s and

women’s teams in the third season of the NRL Touch Premiership.

However, before it could get going the Premiership, as well

as many other plans for Touch throughout the year, including

the Open Trans-Tasman Test Series, the State of Origin

in Coffs Harbour, and of course community touch football

competitions all around the country were put on hold

as COVID-19 hit our communities.

While in shutdown, the organisation’s focus shifted to protecting

the long-term viability of the business, maintaining high levels

of engagement with our people and, alongside Mater Health, the

safe reboot of community sport through return to play protocols.

Once restrictions began to ease, community touch football

competitions returned around the country. As summer touch

football registrations opened in the last quarter of 2020, people

flooded back to touch, with many competitions across Australia

reaching record team numbers.

Despite the impacts of COVID-19 on both elite and grassroots

touch football, TFA managed to achieve many accomplishments

in 2020, including:

by 252 per cent.

to the way the modern game is played.

Youth Trans-Tasman Test Series against New Zealand,

on home soil in Newcastle in January. The live stream of the

tournament was watched by 325,683 viewers.

League, in Coffs Harbour in March. For the first time in history,

TFA incorporated an All-Abilities division into the national

championships, making it a truly inclusive event.

Pride in Sport launched the Transgender and Gender Diverse

Guidelines to support transgender and gender diverse people

to participate in touch football competitions.

in September was the first major event to hit the touch football

schedule with 50 teams taking part. A week later the world’s

biggest touch football event, the Queensland All-Schools

Overview

2020 was a challenging year for the ARLC, Clubs and State

Leagues. When the season was suspended in March, the

financial outcome could have been catastrophic for the entire

financial system of the game. Through a dedication to get

back on the field first and a strong focus on cost reduction and

reorganisation, the ARLC has managed to limit the reduction

in equity and cash, whilst maintaining distributions to members.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the greatest financial challenge

rugby league has ever faced. During 2020, ARLC revenue reduced

by $136m (25 per cent) on the previous year. The reduction

was due to a range of revenue streams being affected directly

by the pandemic.

Despite the challenges, the ARLC will begin the 2021 season

with limited damage to the balance sheet. This has been a result

of the largest cost reduction program the game has ever

undertaken and a focus on revenue retention with key partners.

Despite an unprecedented increase in player travel arrangements

and competition expenses to meet government exemptions that

kept the Premiership going and one-off restructuring costs, the

ARLC was able to reduce operating expenses before distributions

to members by 32 per cent and improve the cost to income ratio

from 34 per cent to 28 per cent.

Overall Result

The NRL recorded a full year deficit of $24.7m. The deficit

excludes the event and operation contribution from the

2020 Ampol State of Origin series which was played in the

2021 financial year.

This performance is significantly ahead of where the game

estimated it would be when the season was suspended

in March and represents a strong financial performance

in challenging times.

Revenue

Premiership due to COVID-19 resulted in the renegotiation

of the broadcast deals with our major partners.

was a significant reduction in Gate Receipts and Hospitality

due to reduced allowed stadium capacities for major events,

the cancellation of Magic Round, and the deferral of the

State of Origin series to November (in FY21).

FINANCIAL

RESULTS 2020

Section Six

Financial Results 2020

Expenditure

Operating Expenditure for 2020 is $142.8m, down $66.1m

(32 per cent) on the previous year due to a focused cost reduction

program on operating expenditure, reduction in Commission and

Executive salaries for part of the year, reduction in workforce,

reduction in servicing costs due to reductions in revenue.

Included in the expenditure incurred in 2020 are non-recurring

or extraordinary costs related to: COVID-19 Competition costs

(including medical experts, relocation of Warriors and Storm and

Club game day protocols and expenditure) and restructure costs.

Distributions

Distributions for 2020 are $301.6m, down $16m (5 per cent)

on the previous year because of reductions in State and Player

distributions due to reduced State based competitions and

the revised CBA resulting in players agreeing to a 20 per

cent reduction in contracted payments. Increases in Club

distributions and margin were agreed to ensure 16 sustainable

Clubs post COVID through the provision of increased funding

and relief packages.

The Controlling Body 2012–2020:

Underlying operating performance

FINANCIAL SUMMARY

Section Six

Financial Results 2020

Profit & Loss ($’000)

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

TOTAL REVENUE 181,600 320,612 344,878 354,261 366,165 377,320 520,465 552,941 417,273

FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION 106,800 214,660 214,611 205,231 217,281 218,868 343,118 345,381 275,317

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) (9,400) 45,341 21,842 (12,466) (10,164) (7,482) 47,122 28,876 (25,181)

Balance Sheet ($’000)

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

NET ASSETS 19,350 64,691 86,534 74,068 63,904 56,421 93,894 122,771 97,590

In the above Profit and Loss table Depreciation, amortisation and interest is disclosed within the respective category it originates. This varies from the statutory accounts

where these costs are disclosed separately on the face of the Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income. Included in 2020 Clubs and Players above is $4m COVID

exceptional payments to Clubs.

The Controlling Body and

the Group (Consolidated)

CONTROLLING BODY1 CONSOLIDATED2 CONTROLLING BODY1 CONSOLIDATED2

TOTAL REVENUE 552,491 555,914 417,273 419,673

FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION 345,381 347,055 275,317 276,900

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) 28,876 28,983 (25,181) (24,742)

CONTROLLING BODY1 CONSOLIDATED2 CONTROLLING BODY1 CONSOLIDATED2

NET ASSETS 122,771 120,662 97,590 95,920

In the above Profit and Loss table Depreciation, amortisation and interest are disclosed within the respective category to which they relate. This varies from the statutory

accounts where these costs are disclosed separately on the face of the Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income. Included in Clubs and Players above is $4m

COVID exceptional payments to Clubs.

1. Controlling Body includes ARLC Ltd and NRL Ltd.

2. Consolidated Group accounts represent the Controlling Body and it’s controlled entities being ARLC WA Ltd (acquired 8 June 2015), ARLC SA Ltd (acquired 30 June 2015),

The Directors present their report for the

Australian Rugby League Commission Limited

(‘ARLC’ or ‘the Company’) for the year ended

31 October 2020.

Directors

The names and details of the Company’s Directors in office

during the financial year and until the date of this report

are as follows. Directors were in office for this entire period,

unless otherwise stated.

Peter V’landys AM (Chairman)

Mr V’landys is Chief Executive and board member with Racing

NSW a position he has held since February 2004. Mr V’landys

holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree majoring in Accounting

and serves across a number of Boards associated with the

thoroughbred racing industry. Mr V’landys is also Chairman

of the Fairy Godfather Foundation which assists people in

Australia in necessitous circumstances. In 2014, Mr V’landys

was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for his

services to the Racing industry.

The Hon. Peter Beattie AC

Mr Beattie is a Director of the Medical Research

Commercialisation Fund, Ambassador for Life Sciences

Queensland, joint adjunct professor at the University

of Queensland’s Australian Institute for Bioengineering

& Nanotechnology & Institute for Molecular Bioscience and

former Chairman of GOLDOC. Mr Beattie is also a Director

of the International Rugby League Board and Director of the

Asia Pacific Rugby League Board. Mr Beattie served as the

36th Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade from 1998

to 2007 and Leader of the Australian Labor Party in that state

from 1996 to 2007 and Health Minister from 1995 to 1996.

DIRECTORS’ REPORT

Section Seven - Concise Financial Report 2020

Tony McGrath

Mr McGrath is a former partner at KPMG and is a co-founder

of McGrathNicol. Mr McGrath is a Director of the National

Foundation for Medical Research and a Non-Executive Director

for Servcorp Limited.

Wayne Pearce OAM

Mr Pearce is a former Kangaroos representative who also

captained and coached the New South Wales State of Origin

side. Mr Pearce is a business consultant and Director of Wayne

Pearce Advantage and the Wayne Pearce Academy. Mr Pearce

is also a Director of the International Rugby League Board

and Chair of the ARLC Innovation Committee. Mr Pearce holds

an Order of Australia medal for services to Rugby League and

the community.

Dr Gary Weiss AM

Dr Weiss is Executive Director of Ariadne Australia Ltd, Chairman

of Ardent Leisure Limited and Estia Health Limited, and a director

of Cromwell Property Group, Thorney Opportunities Limited,

Hearts & Minds Investments Limited, Victor Chang Cardiac

Research Institute and The Centre for Independent Studies.

Dr Weiss was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia

in 2019 for significant services to business and to the community.

Professor Megan Davis

Professor Davis is Pro Vice Chancellor and the Balnaves Chair

in Constitutional Law, UNSW. Professor Davis is an Acting

Commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court and

an expert member of the United Nations Expert Mechanism

on the Rights of Indigenous People in Geneva. Professor Davis

is a constitutional law professor specialising in constitutional

design and constitution building and one of the nation’s leading

public constitutional lawyers.

Amanda Laing (retired 10 March 2020)

Ms Laing is an experienced media executive, working previously

as Group General Counsel and Managing Director of Nine

Entertainment Co. Ms Laing is a former board member

of Australian News Channel (Sky News), Stan and Pedestrian

Group. She is currently on the board of Sports Australia and

is Chief Commercial Officer of Foxtel.

Company Secretary

Eleni North, General Counsel and Company Secretary. Ms North

has been the Company Secretary of the Australian Rugby League

Commission Limited and National Rugby League Limited since

13 August 2014.

Principal Activity

The principal activity of the Company during the course of the

financial year was the fostering and propagation of the game

of Rugby League Football throughout the States and Territories

of Australia and internationally.

The short and long-term objectives of the Australian Rugby

League Commission are to foster, develop, extend and

adequately fund the game from grassroots to elite level;

conduct State of Origin and Australian representative matches;

organise, conduct and foster the National Rugby League

(‘NRL’) competition; liaise with the Rugby League International

Federation on the international game and to promote and

encourage sport, recreation and the general welfare of young

people in the community. The success of the Company’s

performance of these objectives is indicated by the growing

awareness of and participation in Rugby League.

Review of Operations and Financial Results

Revenue generated for the year was $419,672,860

(2019: $555,914,757). The Group’s current year operating

deficit was $24,742,261 (2019: $28,982,716 surplus).

Dividends

No dividends have been paid, declared, or recommended

by the Company during the financial year.

Significant Events after the year end

In January 2021, the NRL and the Rugby League Players

Association (‘RLPA’) agreed a revised CBA, equivalent to

a 6 per cent reduction in the salary cap for 2021 and 2022.

In finalising the revised CBA, it was agreed that accrued

contributions to the RLPA Retirement Fund, held as restricted

cash on the Statement of Consolidated Financial Position

at balance date will be paid to the RLPA within 30 days

of finalisation of the revised CBA, which was signed on

19 January 2021. In the interval between the end of the

financial period and the date of this report, there have been

no other items, transactions or events of a material and

unusual nature likely, in the opinion of the Directors of the

organisation, to affect significantly the operations of the

organisation and the state of affairs in future financial years.

Section Seven - Concise Financial Report 2020

Likely Developments and Future Results

The Directors are not aware of any other particular changes

in the operations of the Company which will materially affect

the results in subsequent years.

Environmental Issues

The Company operations are not regulated by any significant

environmental regulations under a law of the Commonwealth

or of a state or territory.

Directors’ Interests and Benefits

Since the end of the previous financial year, no Director of the

Company has received or become entitled to receive any benefit

because of a contract made by the Company or a related body

corporate with a Director or with a firm of which the Director

is a member, or with a company in which the Director has

a substantial interest.

Indemnification of Officers

The Company paid an insurance premium of $326,821

(2019: $276,347) in respect of a contract insuring the Directors

of the Company named earlier in this report and each executive

officer, against liabilities and expenses arising as a result of work

performed in their respective capacities, to the extent permitted

by law, up to the policy limit.

Indemnification of Auditors

To the extent permitted by law, the Company has agreed

to indemnify the auditors, Ernst & Young, as part of the terms

of its audit engagement agreement against claims by third

parties arising from the audit (for an unspecified amount).

No payment has been made to indemnify Ernst & Young

during or since the financial year.

Members’ Guarantee

The Company is a company limited by guarantee. If the

Company is wound up, the Articles of Association state that

each member is required to contribute a maximum of $10 each

towards meeting any outstanding obligations of the Company.

At 31 October 2020, the number of members was 24 (2019: 25).

Board Meetings

The number of Board Meetings held during the year and the

number of meetings attended by each Director was as follows:

BOARD MEETINGS

DIRECTORS ELIGIBLE

TO ATTEND

ATTENDED

Amanda Laing

(retired 10 March 2020)

3 0

Registered Office

The registered office of Australian Rugby League Commission

Limited is located at:

Rugby League Central, Driver Avenue, Moore Park, NSW,

Australia, 2021.

Corporate Structure

Australian Rugby League Commission Limited is a public,

not-for-profit company, limited by guarantee.

The domicile of the Company is Sydney, Australia.

Section Seven

Concise Financial Report 2020

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION LIMITED – CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT

4

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

In relation to our audit of the concise financial report of Australian Rugby League Commission for the financial year

ended 31 October 2020, to the best of my knowledge and belief, there have been no contraventions of the auditor

independence requirements of any applicable code of professional conduct.

Ernst & Young

James Higgins

Partner

Sydney

18 February 2021

Signed in accordance with a resolution of the Directors.

Peter V’landys

Chairman

Tony McGrath

Director

Sydney

18 February 2021

Ernst & Young

200 George Street

Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

GPO Box 2646 Sydney NSW 2001

Tel: +61 2 9248 5555

Fax: +61 2 9248 5959

ey.com/au

Section Seven

Concise Financial Report 2020

STATEMENT OF CONSOLIDATED COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

Year ended 31 October 2020

NOTES 2020

$’000

2019

$’000

REVENUE

419,673 555,915

EXPENSE

(444,415) (526,932)

SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) (24,742) 28,983

NET SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) (24,742) 28,983

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME FOR THE PERIOD – –

TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE SURPLUS/(DEFICIT) FOR THE PERIOD

ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE MEMBERS OF ARLC LIMITED

(24,742) 28,983

Discussion and analysis of the Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this

Statement of Consolidated Comprehensive Income.

The Consolidated net surplus decreased by $53.7m to a deficit

of $24.7m.

Consolidated revenue down by $136.2m to $419.7m due to:

renegotiated media rights agreement.

merchandising royalties and various other income streams

income streams.

Consolidated expenditure decreased by $82.5m to $444.4m

due to:

States, Affiliates and New Zealand Rugby League distributions,

Game Development, and Media contra, partially offset by

increased Clubs expenditure.

in connection with measures required to run the NRL Game

during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to this, included

within the Clubs expense line in the Income Statement are

non-recurring costs including Club charter flights totalling

$4.0m. Recurring Football costs excluding the impact of the

COVID-19 pandemic are $19.7m (FY19: $25.6m).

Section Seven

Concise Financial Report 2020

STATEMENT OF CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL POSITION

Year ended 31 October 2020

2020

$’000

2019

$’000

CURRENT ASSETS

TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS 194,142 224,697

NON-CURRENT ASSETS

TOTAL NON-CURRENT ASSETS 48,183 47,136

TOTAL ASSETS 242,325 271,833

CURRENT LIABILITIES

TOTAL CURRENT LIABILITIES 134,306 143,601

NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES

TOTAL NON-CURRENT LIABILITIES 12,099 7,570

TOTAL LIABILITIES 146,405 151,171

NET ASSETS 95,920 120,662

EQUITY

TOTAL EQUITY 95,920 120,662

Discussion and analysis of the Statement of Consolidated Financial Position

Consolidated total assets decreased by $29.5m to $242.3m

due to:

$35.0m, prepayments & other receivables $4.3m, intangibles

$1.7m and non-current receivables $6.1m (due primarily to

amortisation of advanced grants for 15 Clubs paid in 2016-17).

right-of-use lease assets $10.1m, the latter due to the adoption

of AASB16 and the subsequent capitalisation of leases.

Consolidated total liabilities decreased by $4.8m to $146.4m

due to:

2019 levels due to major events and media prepayment

unwind in Deferred Revenue ($1.5m), mostly offset by

recognition of lease liabilities due to the adoption of AASB16.

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this

Statement of Consolidated Financial Position.

STATEMENT OF CONSOLIDATED CHANGES IN EQUITY

Year ended 31 October 2020

RESERVES

$’000

RETAINED SURPLUS

$’000

TOTAL

$’000

AS AT 31 OCTOBER 2020 2,228 93,692 95,920

AS AT 31 OCTOBER 2019 2,228 118,434 120,662

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this Statement of Consolidated Changes in Equity

Section Seven

Concise Financial Report 2020

STATEMENT OF CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOWS

Year ended 31 October 2020

2020

$’000

2019

$’000

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES

NET CASH FLOWS FROM/(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES (32,103) 49,743

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES

NET CASH FLOWS FROM/(USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES (3,498) (5,705)

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES

NET CASH FLOWS FROM/(USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES 1,234 0

NET INCREASE/(DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS (34,367) 44,038

CASH AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD 181,695 137,657

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF THE PERIOD 147,328 181,695

Discussion and analysis of the Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows

There was a net decrease in cash holdings of the consolidated

entity totalling $34.4m due to:

and revenue recognised

expense recognised due to advanced grant amortisation

increase in trade receivables and reduction in trade payables).

The accompanying notes form an integral part of this

Statement of Consolidated Cash Flows.

1. Basis of Preparation of the Concise Financial Report

not have mandatory applicability to Australian Rugby League

Commission Limited. However, the Directors of the Company

have prepared the concise financial report, in accordance with

the presentation and disclosure requirements of AASB 1039

financial report does not substitute nor is it intended to replace

the mandatory requirements applicable to Australian Rugby

The financial statements and specific disclosures required by

AASB 1039 have been derived from the consolidated entity’s full

financial report for the financial year. Other information included

in the concise financial report is consistent with the consolidated

entity’s full financial report. The concise financial report does not,

and cannot be expected to, provide as full an understanding of

the financial performance, financial position, and financing and

investing activities of the consolidated entity as the full financial

report. A full financial report is available to the members, upon

request to the Company.

This concise financial report has been prepared using the

historical cost convention. All amounts in the concise financial

report are in Australian dollars.

Where necessary, comparative information has been reclassified

to achieve consistency in disclosure with current financial year

amounts. A full description of accounting policies adopted by the

consolidated entity may be found in the consolidated entity’s full

financial report.

2. Revenue

2020

$’000

2019

$’000

REVENUE

OTHER INCOME

TOTAL OTHER INCOME 20,275 16,251

TOTAL REVENUE 419,673 555,915

Section Seven

Concise Financial Report 2020

NOTES TO THE CONCISE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Year ended 31 October 2020

3. Events Subsequent to Balance Sheet Date

In January 2021, the NRL and the Rugby League Players

Association (‘RLPA’) agreed a revised CBA, equivalent to a 6 per

cent reduction in the salary cap for 2021 and 2022. In finalising

the revised CBA, it was agreed that accrued contributions to the

RLPA Retirement Fund, held as restricted cash on the Statement

of Consolidated Financial Position at balance date will be paid

to the RLPA within 30 days of finalisation of the revised CBA,

which was signed on 19 January 2021.

In the interval between the end of the financial period and the

date of this report, there have been no other items, transactions

or events of a material and unusual nature likely, in the opinion

of the Directors of the organisation, to affect significantly the

operations of the organisation and the state of affairs in future

financial years.

Section Seven - Concise Financial Report 2020

AUSTRALIAN RUGBY LEAGUE COMMISSION LIMITE D – CONCISE FINANCIAL REPORT

12

In accordance with a resolution of the Directors of Australian Rugby League Commission Limited, we state that:

In the opinion of the Directors:

(a) the financial statements and notes of the consolidated entity has been prepared in accordance with

AASB 1039 Concise Financial Reports; and

(b) there are reasonable grounds to believe that the consolidated entity will be able to pay its debts as

and when they become due and payable.

On behalf of the Board

Peter V’landys

Chairman

Tony McGrath

Director

Sydney

18 February 2021

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

Ernst & Young

200 George Street

Sydney NSW 2000 Australia

GPO Box 2646 Sydney NSW 2001

Tel: +61 2 9248 5555

Fax: +61 2 9248 5959

ey.com/au

Opinion

We have audited the concise financial report of Australian Rugby League Commission Limited, which

comprises the consolidated statement of financial position as at 31 October 2020, the consolidated

statement of comprehensive income, consolidated statement of changes in equity and consolidated

statement of cash flows for the year then ended, and related notes, derived from the financial report of

Australian Rugby League Commission Limited and its subsidiaries (collectively the Group) for the year

ended 31 October 2020. The concise financial report also includes discussion and analysis and the

directors’ declaration.

In our opinion, the accompanying concise financial report, including the discussion and analysis and

Basis for Opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with Australian Auditing Standards. Our responsibilities under

financial report in Australia. We have also fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with the

Code.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for

our opinion.

Concise Financial Report

The concise financial report does not contain all the disclosures required by Australian Accounting

Standards. Reading the concise financial report and the auditor’s report thereon, therefore, is not a

substitute for reading the financial report and the auditor’s report thereon.

The Financial Report and Our Report Thereon

We expressed an unmodified audit opinion on the financial report in our report dated 8 February 2021.

Section Seven - Concise Financial Report 2020

A member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation

Responsibilities of the Directors for the Concise Financial Report

The directors of the Company are responsible for the preparation of the concise financial report in

controls as the directors determine are necessary to enable the preparation of the concise financial

report.

Auditor's Responsibilities for the Audit of the Concise Financial Report

Our responsibility is to express an opinion on whether the concise financial report complies, in all material

Ernst & Young

James Higgins

Partner

Sydney

18 February 2021

National Rugby League Ltd

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