Over the past few years I've been fallowing Rugby League more closely then usual. Like many social media has been a great tool to find stories, learn what's happening and to fallow along with any new developments. Especially since league is very minimal here in the states and the NRL and Super League is not easy to watch or fallow. So when Tiffany Salmond tweets regarding the NRL and the various players involved came across my feed , due to another party retweet , I was hooked as fallowing her for another source to learn more on what's happening. Her passion and willingness to call out how the code is perceived and treated by the media and the players themselves is something I am excited about. I hope you all truly enjoy what she has to share and give her a fallow, she is truly a bright person and knows what she is speaking of.
LLR- Please share a bit about yourself
TS- My name is Tiffany Salmond and I work for Sky Sport NZ attached to the rugby league team on live NRL games and The Kiwi League Show. My role includes finding interesting rugby league stories around the country, conducting interviews, editing stories and other content for our productions. I have a big passion for growing the game here in New Zealand and giving it the recognition it deserves in the professional game as well as grassroots. I graduated university with a bachelor of communications majoring in journalism in 2018 and have been at Sky Sport now for a year and a half
LLR- With so many options why rugby league ?
TS- I grew up in a rugby league family. My poppa played and has referred for most of his life, and my dad played the game up until he was 50 so it’s always been apart of my life. Almost every Friday and Saturday night of my childhood was spent falling asleep on the couch in front of the late night NRL games and being woken up by the cheering of the crowd every time a try was scored. My dad comes from the old era rugby league days when fans of the game knew the history of the unfair treatment the sport had experienced and how much it had to fight to stay alive in this country and around the world. He’s passed down this knowledge to me which I am very vocal about as I can still see the injustice within the rugby league communities around the country so that also strengthens my passion for wanting to fight for the game.
LLR- You seem pretty passionate about the NRL and the growth of the game in the southern hemisphere, have there been athletes or other reporters who have reached out in support?
TS- No they haven’t. As I mentioned before about the history of the game, not many people (fans included) know the difficulties the sport faces specifically in New Zealand so it gets neglected. That’s why I’ve made it my mission to be so vocal about it and get involved with the communities and do my bit to tell their stories on The Kiwi League Show
LLR- In your opinion how can women's rugby league grow in the south and north regions along with developing regions like USA, Canada and Latin America ?
TS- In terms of growing the women’s game, I think it needs to become more professional for it to develop anymore than it has. From the first NRLW (women’s NRL) season it was great footy but also very amateur, whereas the second season looked sharper and more professional. Within two seasons of the competition the quality of the football improved immensely due to clubs seeing potential in the game and investing in their female athletes in the way of coaches, money and facilities. One thing I have noticed in New Zealand that I think will be a big step in developing the game is creating more grades in the grassroots competition. If I wanted to play rugby league next season there is only one grade I can join, which means as a compete novice I would be coming up against NRLW players and even Kiwi Ferns. It’s a very intimidating reality, which is why I think having more amateur grades would be a great way of getting more girls coming along and giving it a go
LLR- Does there have to be, it's ether Rugby Union or League or can both codes exist at the same time?
TS- They have both existed alongside each other for years now, despite unions efforts to eliminate the competition. In New Zealand rugby Union is our national sport and dominates our media which makes it very hard for rugby league to get any recognition and attention. Despite the disadvantages, rugby league still thrives, has impressive crowds and huge TV ratings. If it wasn’t such a great game I don’t think it could have survived the adversity quite like it has.
LLR- What advice do you give to those trying to grow rugby league in the USA ?
TS- One thing we know is rugby league is a great product so selling it to the masses isn’t the problem, but getting the word out there is the hard part. We know Americans love their contact sports like the NFL and I’ve seen how they react to our league players smashing into each other with no protective gear, it shocks them but they love it! Getting it into the schools would be a great start. Rugby league is a very simple and basic game compared to rugby union with all their rules, which makes our game very appealing to new comers
LLR- Who wins the NRL restructure season?
TS- Every season it can be anyone’s game, that’s the great thing about the NRL’s salary cap restrictions which insures wealthy clubs can’t buy all the top players. This season in particular though could really be anyone’s! With the completion being so rattled and uncertain due to the pandemic, I think there could be a few dark horses going for the trophy. I’ll have to say my NZ Warriors though of course! I always have to back my team.
LLR- What would you like to see done to take the game to the next level?
TS- The end of last year we saw the inaugural Oceania Cup which shook international rugby league with Tonga beating Australia for the first time in history. The international game has unfortunately been neglected through the years as the NRL has taken priority. I think as a sport we need to take advantage in this turning of the heads within the international arena and boost it to the rest of the world because that is a big reason the game hasn’t grown past NZ, Australia and the UK. Unfortunately the NRL/Australia are the ones who have to allow this to happen as they are the heart of rugby league and all it’s talent. There was a lot of discussion about this at the beginning of the year so I hope they realise we have something special right now and they need to allow it to grow for the good of our game and it’s future.
LLR- How can people connect with you and fallow along?
TS- You can find me on Twitter @Tiffany_salmond, on Instagram @Tiffanysalmond and The Kiwi League show now has an Instagram where we will be posting all our local Kiwi content @thekiwileagueshow
* I would like to thank Tiffany for taking the time in responding back to my questions and with the NRL season getting ready to start back up from this horrible virus we have all had to deal with I look forward to see how the NRL and other professional sports leagues around the world play out. Again I hope you all give Tiffany a fallow on her social media accounts and I personally look forward to more of what she has to say.
* I would like to thank Tiffany for taking the time in responding back to my questions and with the NRL season getting ready to start back up from this horrible virus we have all had to deal with I look forward to see how the NRL and other professional sports leagues around the world play out. Again I hope you all give Tiffany a fallow on her social media accounts and I personally look forward to more of what she has to say.