Rugby League Crowned the North Shore’s Most Affordable Code
Rugby League has emerged as the least expensive footy code for young players.
To register and play rugby League go to: northsydneybears.com.au/district-juniors
An analysis of registration fees for the four footy codes on the north shore — soccer, rugby union, rugby league and Aussie rules — found that rugby league is the most affordable by far.
Football/soccer is the most costly code, with administrators blaming association fees and expensive ground hire costs as contributing factors.
Registration fees for rugby league start from just $100 at the Ku-ring-gai Cubs.
NSW Rugby League’s Tracie Edmondson said rugby league didn’t function like other sports.
“Registration fees are set by the individual Junior Rugby League Clubs themselves,” she said. “The NRL and the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) do not charge clubs affiliation/administration fees.
“The District Club, in this case North Sydney, subsidises registration fees which helps participants cover associated costs such as insurance and ground hire.”
Meanwhile, soccer fees can be as high as $300.
Northern Suburbs Football Association CEO Malcolm Waldock said the association had been working hard to reduce fees across the board.
“Over the last four years we have embarked on an aggressive program of reducing fees for junior football,” he said. “In 2017 we have had to wind this back in response to a large increase in council ground hire fees for weekend usage.”
Lane Cove FC charges $260 for an U10, and club president Francis Child believes ground hire fees are part of the issue.
“Some councils do not charge at all for local clubs while others charge a ‘commercial rate’,” he said.
“In Lane Cove due to the construction of two full-size synthetic pitches, which is a great facility, our hourly rates for training grounds have increased from $18 per hour to around $70 per hour in the past four years on the artificial surfaces.”
“It would obviously assist if Councils saw the provision of grounds as a community necessity providing benefits to be provided from community rates rather than a revenue stream.”
Rugby union, which was the second most expensive code at an average of $214, has a similar set up to soccer with fees being handed up toward national and state associations.
Meanwhile, Australian rules football had a mean cost of $203 for junior players across the north shore.
“We work closely with our clubs to keep costs as low as possible to ensure it’s affordable and accessible for all families,” regional manager for Sydney Harbour and the Illawarra Simon Wilson said.
To register and play rugby League go to: northsydneybears.com.au/district-juniors.
