TO: NZRL Staff, Districts and Affiliates and Board FROM: Cushla Dawson DATE: 22 December 2008 RE: Media Summary Tuesday 16 December to Monday 22 December 2008 Sparcs fly for league fans: RUGBY league boss Ray Haffenden has doused the flames ignited by Sparc's funding snub last week. Fans were outraged when the government funding organisation seemed to ignore their sport and the achievements of the world champion Kiwis. "Rugby league will get funding once the Sparc review into our sport is completed in February," Haffenden told Sunday News. Warriors open 2009 at home to Eels: The New Zealand Warriors will open their 2009 National Rugby League season with a home match against Parramatta Eels on Saturday, March 14. The Warriors will play three of their first four games at home, including matches against the Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs. Bulldogs sign Kiwi junior: IN A massive boost ahead of next season, the Cootamundra Bulldogs have snared the signature of a 20-year-old Kiwi who has been a part of the New Zealand Warriors Development Squad. Jonathon Carl, a utility back who is equally at home at fullback, five-eighth or in the centres, and has the extra bonus of being an accomplished goal kicker, will fly out to Australia early in the New Year to link with the Bulldogs. Rugby league receives big increase in Sport England funding: Rugby league has received a significant increase in funding from Sport England, with funding up from £18.5million to £29.4million. The award will cover a four-year period from April 2009 to March 2013. The Rugby Football League will use the cash to increase participation by developing alternative forms of the game such as tag rugby and creating more opportunities for over-35s and women. Best sporting moment of 08: New Zealand couch potatoes rejoiced in 2008, their fitness levels heightened by frequent leaps in the air as our Olympians, Kiwis rugby league players, Scott Dixon and All Blacks among others had a successful time. Magical night lifts NZ to league's summit: Who would have believed it even a few weeks ago? Just a year after the Kiwis were thrashed 58-0 by Australia and whitewashed 3-0 in a series by Great Britain, New Zealand rugby league finds itself at the summit of the international game. The tag of world champions is the Kiwis' for the next five years thanks to a fairy tale night in Brisbane in November. Ups and downs of rugby league’s centenary year: Rugby league’s centenary season was supposed to be a celebration of all that is great in the game. And for the most part it was. However rugby league’s ability to toss up controversy continued to overshadow the game’s most important year with poor sportsmanship by officials, player misbehaviour and fading loyalty again dominating headlines. Below is a snapshot of highs and lows of 2008. Crowe says time for Rabbits to fend for themselves Actor Russell Crowe has told the South Sydney league club he owns it's time they stood on their own feet. In a video Christmas message to Rabbitohs members and fans, Crowe said while he and sponsors will be financing an upgrade of the club's facilities this year, he'll be standing aside at some stage, and the most important thing is to increase the club's membership base to about 15-thousand from its current 6-thousand. Crowe and businessman Peter Holmes a Court bought a 75 per cent stake in the NRL club for $3 million in 2006. Source: Radio New Zealand, 16 December 2008 Sparcs fly for league fans RUGBY league boss Ray Haffenden has doused the flames ignited by Sparc's funding snub last week. Fans were outraged when the government funding organisation seemed to ignore their sport and the achievements of the world champion Kiwis. "Rugby league will get funding once the Sparc review into our sport is completed in February," Haffenden told Sunday News. "It was initially supposed to be finished by December but the job is being done in a thorough manner and will be pushed back until February now." Haffenden is confident that once the results of the review are established, the sport will get some money. "I would hope that is the case," he said. Sparc's high performance manager Martin Toomey told Sunday News that rugby league's piece of the pie was being held in the warmer drawer until the review's findings were known. "We were always going to keep them (league) separate," Toomey said. "We want the review to run its course and see what an independent committee suggests and then go from there. "There are no guarantees but they could certainly get some funding once the review is completed." If that were the case it would mark a huge turnaround for the sport. A year ago Sparc lambasted the way rugby league was governed, which prompted the independent structural review. "The relationship between Sparc and ourselves has improved out of sight in my opinion," Haffenden said. "I don't see anything that suggests otherwise." The organisation was close to financial ruin after spending had run wild under chairman Andrew Chalmers. He resigned, Haffenden took over, Gary Kemble was replaced by Stephen Kearney as Kiwis coach and Wayne Bennett brought in to assist. The pair led New Zealand to a stunning world cup win over arch rivals Australia. There appears to be a lot more faith from the sport's stakeholders in Haffenden and his board and the sport seems to be back on the rise again. "We are back on track but we still haven't got any money though," Haffenden said. "We budgeted for a loss this year and all of our stakeholders knew that. Hopefully, that loss will be a little smaller than what we anticipated." And now he's hoping there is a flow-on vibe from the world cup victory to give the sport the boost it needs. "I have been travelling with the cup the last couple of weeks and I'm just staggered with the reception is has received," he said. "The cup is on show at the New Zealand Rugby League Museum Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays so people can see it. "A lot of good things have come out of this year but we can't sit back and think the job is done. "I was speaking to Stephen Kearney the other day and he thought the work was just starting. "Now that we have the cup we need to work twice as hard to keep that momentum going. "Winning it has created a lot of work for all of us but that is a good thing." (Source: Dale Budge, Sunday News, 21 December 2008) Warriors open 2009 at home to Eels The New Zealand Warriors will open their 2009 National Rugby League season with a home match against Parramatta Eels on Saturday, March 14. The Warriors will play three of their first four games at home, including matches against the Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs. The Eels match will be a homecoming of sorts for new Parramatta coach Daniel Anderson, who guided the Warriors in 92 games from 2001-2004. Their round two fixture is in Sydney against last year's champions, the Manly Sea Eagles on March 22. Just the first five rounds have been confirmed in the draw, with the Warriors to travel to Newcastle in round five. NRL draw for first five rounds ROUND ONE March 13: Storm v Dragons, Melbourne; Broncos v Cowboys, Brisbane March 14: WARRIORS v Eels, Auckland; Sharks v Panthers, Sydney; Bulldogs v Sea Eagles, Sydney March 15: Titans v Knights, Gold Coast; Roosters v Rabbitohs, Sydney March 16: Wests Tigers v Raiders, Sydney ROUND TWO March 20: Rabbitohs v Eels, Sydney; Broncos v Storm, Brisbane March 21: Dragons v Titans, Wollongong; Panthers v Bulldogs, Sydney; Cowboys v Wests Tigers, Townsville March 22: Raiders v Roosters, Canberra; Sea Eagles v WARRIORS, Sydney March 23: Sharks v Knights, Toyota Stadium ROUND THREE March 27: Wests Tigers v Roosters, Sydney; Titans v Bulldogs, Gold Coast March 28: WARRIORS v Broncos, Auckland; Eels v Raiders, Sydney; Cowboys v Storm, Townsville March 29: Rabbitohs v Knights, Gosford; Dragons v Sharks, Sydney March 30: Sea Eagles v Panthers, Sydney ROUND FOUR April 3: Broncos v Dragons, Brisbane; Roosters v Eels, Sydney April 4: Panthers v Wests Tigers, Sydney; Storm v Titans, Melbourne April 5: WARRIORS v Rabbitohs, Auckland; Bulldogs v Sharks, Sydney, Knights v Sea Eagles, Newcastle April 6: Raiders v Cowboys, Canberra ROUND FIVE April 10: Roosters v Broncos, Sydney; Eels v Dragons, Sydney April 11: Sharks v Raiders, Sydney; Storm v Panthers, Melbourne; Cowboys v Titans, Townsville April 12: Knights v WARRIORS, Newcastle; Sea Eagles v Wests Tigers, Sydney April 13: Bulldogs v Rabbitohs, Sydney (Source: www.stuff.co.nz 19 December 2008) Bulldogs sign Kiwi junior IN A massive boost ahead of next season, the Cootamundra Bulldogs have snared the signature of a 20-year- old Kiwi who has been a part of the New Zealand Warriors Development Squad. Jonathon Carl, a utility back who is equally at home at fullback, five-eighth or in the centres, and has the extra bonus of being an accomplished goal kicker, will fly out to Australia early in the New Year to link with the Bulldogs. Earlier this year Carl, who plays his club football for the Pontonsby Ponies sat on the bench for the Warriors Toyota Cup side, a team that went on to make the grand final of their competition.