Clubs in the top three tiers of British rugby league have voted in favour of IMG’s proposed club grading, which will see each team rated for various on and off-field performance criteria.
The proposal won with an 86% majority across the eligible teams from Super League, Championship and League One.
Currently, promotion and relegation via on-field performance decides placings.
The proposed new set-up, now voted in, will create a new top flight from 2025, guided by a variety of metrics.
The move is part of media giant IMG’s strategic partnership with Rugby League Commercial, under the banner of ‘Reimagining Rugby League’.
How will it work?
From the end of this season, all clubs in the professional game will be reviewed and given a grade based on the following criteria, with a maximum 20 points on offer.
- Fandom [5 points]: Taking in attendances, memberships and digital engagement with fans
- Performance [5pts]: Teams rated 1-36 in terms of league position over three seasons, with bonuses for league/cup wins
- Finances [4.5 pts]: Income, financial stability, diversity of revenue streams and business performance
- Stadium [3pts]: Quality of facility, match-day experience, capacity, utilisation
- Community [1pt for foundation, 1.5pts for catchment area]: Success of foundations as charitable arms, and how much competition for supporters in local area.
To achieve a grade A ranking, clubs must score 15 points or higher and 7.5 to receive a B grading.
These base-level rankings will be delivered to give teams a full campaign to work on areas for improvement before the gradings count for real in 2025.
From 2025, the Super League – the top tier of rugby league which consists of 12 clubs – will be filled with all the category A clubs, with the remaining spots going to the best performing category B teams.
These categories will be assessed on an annual basis, offering clubs outside the elite division a chance to gain promotion by improving their variables in addition to on-field performance.
“This has been a highly significant day for the sport,” Rugby Football League chair and RL Commercial board member Simon Johnson said. “I am proud of the vote of the Council today.
“Our clubs were unanimous in supporting the 12-year strategic partnership with IMG when it was proposed in 2022, and have now given strong support for the club grading recommendation which is crucial in allowing the sport to grow and fulfil its potential – on the domestic and international stage.”
At the Rugby League Council’s meeting at Huddersfield’s John Smith’s Stadium, 10 of the 11 eligible Super League teams voted in favour with one abstention, and each team’s position carried two votes to weight equally against the larger combined total of Championship and League One teams.
However, the abstaining club later confirmed that a mix-up led to their in-favour vote not counting, which would have increased the majority to 88%.
Eight Championship clubs from 13 voted likewise, with one abstention, while seven from 11 in League One offered support, with one abstention.
