25 Feb 2014

NRL to invest in its future

12:01 pm on 25 February 2014

The National Rugby League says it will pump more than 200 million dollars into growing rugby league over the next four as it continues to jostle for space in a cramped sporting landscape against rival codes.

Despite a record billion dollar media deal the game's governing body conceded TV ratings and crowd figures had fallen slightly last season and contributed it to the poor performance of the better supported teams.

The NRL enjoyed a record 50 million dollar profit over the 2013.

80 million dollars will be put into a sustainability fund to be invested commercially to generate income and NRL boss Dave Smith says it'll ensure the sport has financial security into the future....

The NRL also invested 2.5 million dollars into new governance measures in 2013, including the Integrity Unit and drug testing in a response to off-field indiscretions and the ASADA affair.