Tremendous League might broaden to 14 groups as early as subsequent yr if a strategic assessment led by the Rugby Soccer League’s interim chair, Nigel Wooden, can persuade the present 12 groups that growth is financially viable for 2026.
Wooden, the governing physique’s former chief government who was introduced again earlier this yr after golf equipment determined he ought to lead a assessment that will scrutinise all points of the skilled recreation in the UK.
That included whether or not there’s room for French golf equipment Catalans Dragons and Toulouse, in addition to the game’s long-term partnership with IMG. Their suggestions in 2022 urged that Tremendous League ought to solely broaden when there have been sufficient golf equipment reaching the very best bracket of their gradings standards.
However Wooden’s assessment, which will probably be delivered to golf equipment subsequent month at a gathering in Wakefield, will suggest a transfer to 14 as early as subsequent yr. Crucially, the Guardian has been instructed that increasingly more assist has been garnered for that concept in latest weeks, with one high-ranking determine suggesting it was “pretty much as good as a performed deal”.
Nevertheless, there stays scepticism from some elite golf equipment concerning the monetary affect increasing Tremendous League would have for the present 12 groups, which might be the large stumbling block. The central distribution every membership receives has shrunk drastically with the worth of the competitors’s TV deal shrinking from £40mper yr a decade in the past to round £21m in 2025.
Some golf equipment who’re open to 14 groups are solely eager to decide to the concept as soon as they’ve seen commitments on whether or not or not their central distribution would cut back additional owing to extra groups being within the competitors.
Nevertheless, the Guardian has been instructed that one concept that has been floated among the many corridors of formidable Championship golf equipment could be for 2 golf equipment to hitch the elite and obtain minimal – and even no – central distribution in 2026, with the hope that the game can then safe an elevated TV deal for 2027 when the present Sky contract ends.
That might result in an almighty scramble to develop into one of many two groups added to Tremendous League with 4 golf equipment – Toulouse, Bradford, York and London – all believing they may step up for subsequent yr. It’s understood that not less than two of these groups could be prepared to take action with out distribution for one yr, too.
However growth to 14 wouldn’t be obtained properly by the Nationwide Rugby League (NRL), who stay excited about taking management of the competitors in an try and revive its fortunes. Their choice could be to truly scale back Tremendous League to 10 groups, not improve it.
One official in Australia believes that if golf equipment go together with Wooden’s proposals given his unpopularity within the corridors of the NRL, it might successfully spell the tip of any significant curiosity in a deal between the 2 competitions.
The RFL have been approached for remark.
