Emeritus Professor John Mangan

Tag: #Australia #rugby league

Technophobia and Status Quo Bias in the NRL Bunker Dispute

04/10/2026

The same people who unquestionably accept autopilot landing an aircraft or robotic surgery are uneasy about technology ruling on a sporting outcome. Introduction Technology has been introduced into many professional sports to reduce referee error. It has transformed the way games are officiated across a range of sporting competitions. However, controversy over its use remains. In the National Rugby League (NRL), the bunker was introduced to assist referees in making more accurate decisions by reviewing incidents through video technology. While

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Scare as Hen’s Teeth: Rugby League in the Movies

28/03/2026

Introduction Despite its deep cultural roots in Australia, Northern England, and New Zealand — and despite its 131year separation from Rugby Union in 1895 — Rugby League has rarely been explored in film or documentary. This stands in stark contrast to soccer, whose global popularity has inspired internationally recognised films such as Fever Pitch (1997), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), and Kicking and Screaming (2005). Even the AFL, with its strong domestic following, has not generated a significant cinematic footprint.

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