Broken time, spectatorism and the media

Overview

Broken-time payments and the rugby split of 1895, the Rugby Football Union's stance, spectatorism and its growth, the early media, the maximum wage abolished in 1961, amateurism, and professional rugby union.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What were broken-time payments?

   Model answer

   Broken-time payments compensated working-class players for wages lost while playing. The payments were a first step towards professionalism.

2. 2

   How did the broken-time dispute split rugby in 1895?

   Model answer

   Northern clubs wanted to pay broken-time compensation, but the Rugby Football Union refused. The northern clubs formed the Northern Union, which became rugby league.

3. 3

   Why did the Rugby Football Union oppose broken-time payments?

   Model answer

   The union's middle-class leaders believed in strict amateurism. Paying players was seen as against the spirit of the game.

4. 4

   What is meant by spectatorism?

   Model answer

   Spectatorism is the growth of large paying crowds watching sport. Gate money from crowds made sport a commercial business.

5. 5

   How did spectatorism lead to commercialisation?

   Model answer

   Gate money gave clubs income to pay players and build grounds. Clubs began to run as businesses.

6. 6

   Why did spectatorism grow in the late nineteenth century?

   Model answer

   Workers gained Saturday afternoons off and had some money to spend. Railways and trams brought crowds to grounds.

Other ways to work this

The same content, four other ways.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.