Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-zzh7m Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T05:44:29.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Governance in Sport: Outside the Box?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2023

Deborah Healey
Deborah Healey*
Affiliation:
The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

‘Governance’ in its simplest form is the way that an organisation is directed and controlled, but the concept of governance also incorporates systems of rules, relationships, and processes to achieve that end. This article focuses on governance of sporting organisations in Australia. Sport in Australia is organised in a singular fashion when compared to other organisations and to sport in other countries. This has significant implications for assumptions about corporate structure, law and governance. The article examines governance of sporting organisations from a number of perspectives and draws distinctions between standard assumptions about governance and the realities of sports governance in Australia. It concludes that a number of assumptions made about organisations in law and governance theory do not apply to Australian sporting organisations. It asks how these anomalies in assumption and execution affect ultimate good governance in sport and impact on the way directors approach their duties.

Keywords

KLCompany limited by guaranteeCorporations Act 2001duties of directorsgovernancenot-for-profitrole of boardsportsporting organisationsstakeholders
Type
Article
Information
The Economic and Labour Relations Review , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , September 2012 , pp. 39 - 59
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League, et al 500 U.S. (2010).Google Scholar
Antitrust Modernization Commission (2007) (Deborah A. Garza, Chair) Report and Recommendations, Washington, available: http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/amc/report_recommendation/amc_final_report.pdf [accessed 1 September 2010].Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1964 (Tas).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Qld).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (Vic).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1985 (SA).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1987 (WA).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1990 (NT).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 1991 (ACT).Google Scholar
Associations Incorporation Act 2009 (NSW).Google Scholar
Australian Government (2009) Australian sport: The path to success, available: http://www.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/pathway-to-success [accessed 20 March 2012].Google Scholar
ASX (Australian Securities Exchange) Corporate Governance Council (2007) Principles and Recommendations with 2010 amendments, 2nd edition, available: http://www.asx.com.au/governance/corporate-governance.htm [accessed 20 March 2012].Google Scholar
ASC (Australian Sports Commission) (2007) Governance Principles: A Good Practice Guide for Sporting Organisations, available: http://www.Ausport.gov.au/_date/assets/pdf_file/0004/193027/ASC_Governance_Principles_2007.pdf [accessed 12 December 2010].Google Scholar
ASC (2009) Eligibility Criteria for the Recognition of NSOs by the Australian Sports Commission 2009–2013, available: http://www.asuport.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0003/336432/ASC_Eligibility_Criteria_for_NSW_recognition_2009-13.pdf [accessed 20 March 2012].Google Scholar
ASC (2012) Sports Governance Principles, available: http:///www.ausport.gov.au/_data/assets/pdf_file/0018/482022/ASC_GovernancePrinciples.pdf [accessed 10 April 2012].Google Scholar
ASC v Gallagher (1993) 11ACLC 286.Google Scholar
ASIC v Adler [2002] NSWSC 171 at 372.Google Scholar
Barani, L. (2007) ‘The regulation of sport in the European Union’ in Bogusz, B., Cygan, A., Szyszczak, E. (eds) The Regulation of Sport in the European Union, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, pp. 107–131.Google Scholar
Cameron v Hogan (1934) 51 CLR 358.Google Scholar
Carter v NSW Netball Association [2004] NSWSC 737 (17 August).Google Scholar
Clarke, T. (2007) International Corporate Governance: A Comparative Approach, Routledge, Oxford.Google Scholar
Commission of the European Communities (2007) White Paper on Sport COM 391, available: http://ec/europa.eu/s[prt/whitepaper/whitepaper112_en.html [accessed 20 March 2012].Google Scholar
Copperweld v Independence TubeCorp 104 S Ct 2731 (1984).Google Scholar
Corporations Act 2001 (Cth).Google Scholar
Daniels t/as Deloitte Haskins & Sels v AWA Ltd (1995) 13 ACLC 614.Google Scholar
Du Plessis, J., Hargovan, A., Bagaric, M. (2011) Principles of Contemporary Corporate Governance, Second edition, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.Google Scholar
Federal Baseball Club of Baltimore Inc v National League of Professional Baseball Clubs 259 US 200 (1922).Google Scholar
Freeburn, L. (2010) ‘National sporting organisations and the good governance principles of the Australian Sports Commission’, ANZ Sports Law Journal, 5(1), pp. 43–80.Google Scholar
Gibson, O. (2011) ‘Sports law to force through reform of FA would be welcomed by UEFA’ The Guardian, 4 April, available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/mar/23/fa-reform-uefa-sports-law [accessed 25 April 2012].Google Scholar
Healey, D. (2006) ‘Warnings and exclusions post personal responsibility’, ANZ Sports Law Journal, 1(1), pp. 7–41.Google Scholar
HIH Royal Commission (2003) Report of the HIH Royal Commission (Owen Report), available: http://www.hihroyalcom.gov.au/finalreport/index.htm [accessed 25 April 2012].Google Scholar
Hill, J. G. (2010) ‘The architecture of corporate governance in Australia’, The University of Sydney Law School Legal Studies Research Paper, September, 10/75, The University of Sydney, Sydney.Google Scholar
Horvath, P. (2008) ‘Organisational structure, economics and best governance practice in non-professional sporting leagues’, Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Journal, 3(1), pp. 69–102.Google Scholar
Independent Sport Panel (2009) The Future of Sport in Australia (the ‘Crawford Report’) 15 October, available: http://www.sportpanel.org.au/internet/sportpanel/publishing.nsf/Content/crawford-report [accessed 25 April 2012].Google Scholar
Kingsford-Smith, D. (2012 forthcoming) ‘Governing the Corporation: the Role of Soft Regulation, UNSW Law Journal, Forum, 18(1), Directors’ Duties Revisited.Google Scholar
Lennard’s Carrying Co Ltd v Asiatic Petroleum Co Ltd [1915] AC 705.Google Scholar
Nafziger, J. (2008) ‘A comparison on the European and North American Models of Sports Organisation’, International Sports Law Journal, 3–4, pp. 100–107.Google Scholar
News Limited v Australian Rugby Football League (1996) 58 FCR 447.Google Scholar
News Limited v South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club Limited (2003), 215 CLR 563.Google Scholar
OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) (2004) Principles of Corporate Governance, available: http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/32/18/31557724.pdf [accessed 12 March 2012].Google Scholar
Parrish, R., Garcia, B., Miettinen, S., Siekmann, R. (2010) The Lisbon Treaty and EU Sports Policy, European Parliament, Brussels, available: http://www.eurosport.europa.eu/meetdocs/2009_2014/documents/cult/dv/esstudyeusportspolicy/esstudyeusportspolicyen.pdf [accessed 10 April 2012].Google Scholar
Paterson, J. (2010) ‘AFL club membership: A glorified stadium entry card or genuine ownership stake in the club?’, Company and Securities Law Journal, 28(8), pp. 507–536.Google Scholar
Post, J. E., Preston, L. E., Sachs, S. (2002) Redefining the Corporation: Stakeholder Management and Organizational Wealth, Stanford University Press, Stanford CA.Google Scholar
Ritchie, D. (2011) Rugby League’s new independent commission to meet for the first time, Daily Telegraph August 17, available: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/rugby-leagues-new-independent-commission-to-meet-for-the-first-time [accessed 1 September 2012].Google Scholar
Scott, M., Gibson, O. (2009) ‘Lord Triesman unveils FA plan to overhaul governance of football’, The Guardian, 21 May, available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/may/21/lord-triesman-fa-governance-overhaul [accessed 25 April 2012].Google Scholar
Shafron v Australian Securities and Investment Commission [2012] HCA 18 (3 May 2012).Google Scholar
Sstandards Australia (2003) Corporate Governance. Good Governance Principles. AS-8000–2003. Standards Australia, Sydney.Google Scholar
Standards Australia (2006) Compliance Programs. AS-3606–2006. Standards Australia, Sydney.Google Scholar
Standards Australia (2009) Risk Management—Principles and Guidelines. AS/NZS ISO 31000: 2009. Standards Australia, Sydney.Google Scholar
The Bell Group Ltd v Westpac Banking Corporation [2008]WASC 239 (No.9) (28 October 2008).Google Scholar
Walter, B. (2009) How the Commission will run the game, Sydney Morning Herald 1 December, available: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league-news/how-the-commission-will-run-the-game-20091130 [accessed 1 September 2012].Google Scholar
Weatherill, S. (2007) ‘On overlapping legal orders: What is the “purely sporting” rule?’ in Bogusz, B., et al (eds) The Regulation of Sport in the European Union, Edward Elgar, pp. 48–78.Google Scholar