History of Labour Relations and Working Conditions in the Premier League, NBA and Rugby Union

Abstract

Historically a club, team, league or federation unilaterally implemented working conditions in a professional sports league. The contractual terms and organizational rules almost always favoured the entity that was in control of the competition. Measures were introduced that limited a player’s capacity to move between clubs and competitions and kept wages low. Over time, employment law and labour relations law has assisted players in the NBA and the Premier League to gain an involvement in the determination of their working conditions and to negotiate employment terms from a position of relatively equal bargaining power. In a competition organized between national teams, such as the men’s Rugby World Cup, it is more difficult because the relationship between an international federation and a professional athlete is regulatory. An employment relationship, if one exists, will be at a national level. This chapter provides a historical account of the organization and development of labour relations in the Premier League, the NBA and international rugby union.