BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Several members of parliament have been contacted by supporters of Mark Aston to get them to back calls for a review into the standards of governance in UK rugby league.
A group has been established to support Aston following his long ban by the RFL. You can read more about the case here.
The group is now writing to MPs expressing their concerns over the case and to also urge them to raise questions in parliament about the RFL’s governance.
RFL president and Speaker of the House Lindsay Hoyle has been contacted, as has the RFL chairman Simon Johnson, and many owners of Super League clubs and influential figures across the sport. Stuart Andrew, the shadow culture secretary, and Lord Parkinson, the shadow minister for digital, culture, media and sport, have also been contacted.
rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads understands the group wants questions asked about the RFL at the next session for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on November 28.
Aston himself has written to his local MP, Dr Marie Tidball, the member for Penistone and Stocksbridge, over the case.
The letter is reproduced below:
“Monday 4 November 2024
Dear Dr Marie Tidball MP,
I am writing to you as your constituent regarding a matter that threatens to end my 40+ years’ career as a player and coach in rugby league and raises serious concerns about sports governance that I believe warrant parliamentary scrutiny.
I have served as head coach of Sheffield Eagles for a quarter of a century, making me the second longest-serving coach of a single team in UK professional sport, surpassed only by Sir Alex Ferguson’s tenure at Manchester United. Throughout this time, I’ve worked to make the Eagles a force for good in Sheffield beyond the men’s team, establishing wheelchair RL teams, women’s and girl’s pathways and learning disability teams that have given countless local young people opportunities they might never have had.
This work was recognised in 2012 when I was honoured to be awarded an honorary doctorate for services to sport in the region. My position is now under threat due to what I believe is a miscarriage of justice by the Rugby Football League (RFL) governing body.
I have received an 18-month ban – effectively career-ending at my age – over an administrative error. The crucial fact is this: Matty Marsh was completely fit to play – this isn’t disputed by anyone, including the RFL. The tribunal’s own findings acknowledge he passed all his tests and showed no symptoms.
My ban wasn’t issued because of any player welfare concern, but purely because paperwork was completed in the wrong order. To put this punishment into perspective: my 18-month ban is three times longer than the six-month ban given to a player who was found guilty of a malicious double head punch on a prone player during a Grand Final, broadcast live on TV to thousands of viewers.
The disciplinary process itself raises serious concerns:
• The tribunal was both paid for and organised by the RFL
• The investigation was conducted by someone with direct RFL ties
• Investigation notes were destroyed before the process concluded
• I was denied the basic right to call witnesses in my defence
• The RFL is now claiming legal privilege to avoid disclosing who received crucial emails about the case.
I believe I have been made a scapegoat by the RFL over its inadequate protocols and procedures around dealing with player head injuries (HIAs). I am preparing to request that my appeal be heard by Sports Resolution, an independent sports arbitration service, rather than through the RFL’s internal appeal process. Independent scrutiny is essential given the serious questions about the original process.
As my MP, I would be grateful if you could: 1. Write to Simon Johnson, Chair of the RFL, expressing concern about:
• The disproportionate nature of the punishment
• The lack of independence in the disciplinary process
• The destruction of evidence
• The impact on grassroots rugby league
Given that the next oral questions session for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is scheduled for Thursday 28 November, would you consider raising a question about governance standards in rugby league?
The disproportionate nature of my ban, combined with serious process concerns, suggests a need for greater oversight of sports governance. A detailed letter outlining these concerns has been sent to Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle MP in his capacity as RFL President, supported by several prominent rugby league figures including a former RFL President, former Sheffield Eagles Chairman Ian Swire, and other significant investors in the sport.
I would be happy to provide you with a copy of this letter and any other information you might need. The strength of feeling within the RL community in the region is clear on this issue. A petition was launched calling for a review of the ban and reform of the RFL’s head injury protocols, which has secured hundreds of signatures. You can view the details here: www.change.org/mark-aston
This case has implications far beyond my own career. It risks alienating the very people who have dedicated their lives to protecting players and supporting the survival of rugby league at the grassroots level – particularly in working-class communities like ours where the sport means so much to so many. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter in more detail. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Mark Aston”
