PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
RUGBY LEAGUE SUPPORTERS' MEDIA PETITION (19 March 2002)

That this House welcomes the presentation to Parliament of a petition signed by over 30,000 supporters of rugby league calling for the promotion of fair and constructive media coverage of the sport; shares their concern over a series of recent examples of inaccurate, ill-informed and damaging commentary in some sections of the media by London-based journalists with little or no knowledge of rugby league; notes that the popularity of rugby league is such that it is now played regularly in all counties of the United Kingdom and in the Republic of Ireland, with clubs at amateur, semi-professional, professional, student and armed forces levels and can no longer be characterised as a purely northern regional sport; commends this important supporters' initiative; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport to make every effort to ensure that rugby league is covered in the media in a balanced, accurate and informed manner.

Sponsored by:
Mr David Hinchliffe (Labour)