The
Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) has today officially announced the
release of a special documentary titled The Professionals.
The documentary investigates how the definition of professional has evolved in elite Australian rugby league over the past four decades – coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the RLPA in 2019.
The Professionals will be released exclusively on NRL.com next Friday, 20 December – with a 90 second promotional video released today – which provides a sneak peek at some of the interviews with a number of rugby league greats including Wayne Pearce, Ron Coote, Graeme Hughes, Kevin Ryan and Peter Sterling.
The
Professionals explores the key events that have
shaped the game firsthand through the eyes of players – including the Dennis
Tutty case, the Draft challenge, Super League, Collective Bargaining
negotiations and the partnership between players and the game.
The
content series will also take a look at how the environment for rugby league
players has changed dramatically since 1979, as the game transitioned from
part-time to full-time professional.
The documentary has been captured by Form Productions over the past six months, with the team interviewing more than 20 past and present players and administrators as part of the project.
The RLPA and NRL.com will release a number of preview clips over the next week ahead of the scheduled release on Friday, 20 December.
