Close Menu
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
  • News
  • Projects
  • Operations
  • Business
  • Job Listings
    • Job Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Meetings
    • The Stadium Business Summit
    • Design & Development Summit
    • The Stadium Business Asia
    • The Ticketing Business Forum
    • The Ticketing Business Asia
  • Regions
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
LATEST:
  • USTA planning major revamp of Arthur Ashe Stadium
  • Hill Dickinson lands naming rights to Everton’s new stadium
  • Everton bids farewell to Goodison Park
  • Bears shifting stadium focus back to Arlington Heights
  • Ligue 1 attendances continue to rise
  • PMY Group to power World Technology Games
YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
Register for #SBS25
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
  • News
  • Projects
  • Operations
  • Business
  • Job Listings
    • Job Dashboard
  • Insights
  • Meetings
    • The Stadium Business Summit
    • Design & Development Summit
    • The Stadium Business Asia
    • The Ticketing Business Forum
    • The Ticketing Business Asia
  • Regions
Subscribe
The Stadium BusinessThe Stadium Business
Home»Events»IMG’s rugby league reform plans backed by clubs

IMG’s rugby league reform plans backed by clubs

The Rugby League Council, the sport’s decision-making body which comprises representatives from all three professional competitions and the community game in the UK, has voted in favour of Club Grading – the first element of the Reimagining Rugby League strategy which includes assessing clubs on their stadium infrastructure.
Rob RidleyBy Rob Ridley19th April 20234 Mins Read Events 305 Views
Totally Wicked Stadium in St Helens, England
Share
Facebook LinkedIn Twitter Email WhatsApp Copy Link

The Rugby League Council, the sport’s decision-making body which comprises representatives from all three professional competitions and the community game in the UK, has today (Wednesday) voted in favour of Club Grading – the first element of the Reimagining Rugby League strategy which includes assessing clubs on their stadium infrastructure.

In a Special General Meeting in Huddersfield, the Yorkshire town where the rebel rugby code was formed as the Northern Union in 1895, the recommendations were supported by a majority of clubs in each of the three professional competitions, and received unanimous support from the community game.

Ten of the 11 Super League clubs voted in favour, with one abstention. The 12th club, Catalans Dragons, were not entitled to vote. Eight of the 13 Championship clubs voted in favour, with one abstention. The 14th club, Toulouse Olympique, was not entitled to vote, like its French counterpart in the top tier. Seven of the 11 League One clubs voted in favour, with one abstention.

The total number of votes in favour was therefore 32, with seven opposed, and three abstentions. Under the weighting system for Council votes which ensures an equal weight for Super League clubs on the one hand, and Championship/League One on the other, there was an 86%-14% result.

The IMG agency last month presented to the Rugby League Council a recommended grading criteria to define how Super League, Championship and League One clubs will be assessed from 2025. The criteria cover five areas as part of IMG’s Reimagining Rugby League plans. IMG last year signed a 12-year strategic partnership with the Rugby Football League (RFL) and Super League Europe to reimagine rugby league and its competitions in the UK.

Each of the five areas have been given a percentage of the overall weighting, with stadiums covering 15%. This grading principle will be based on a number of factors, including facilities and utilisation, which add value to the fan and broadcast or digital viewer experience, and match or exceed competition from other sports and events.

Other criteria include fandom (25%), performance (25%), finances (25%) and catchment (10%). Earlier this month, several amendments were made to the grading criteria, with clubs better rewarded for the extent of their community engagement, while the finance pillar was downgraded.

The catchment category was renamed community and will include points under the proposed model for clubs’ positive impact in the communities in which the sport is based and played. 

Simon Johnson, chair of the RFL and a board member of Rugby League Commercial, said today: “This has been a highly significant day for the sport and 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.

“We thank the team at IMG for the detailed and dedicated work that underpinned this recommendation. Our own teams at the RFL and RL Commercial will continue to work with IMG and other parts of the Endeavor organisation, notably Seven League and 160over90, to advance the other six recommendations included in Reimagining Rugby League.

“In terms of Club Grading, it is important to stress again that there will be no changes to the existing arrangements for promotion and relegation this season.

“In the closing stages of the season this autumn, illustrative gradings for all clubs will be published, providing all with a clear idea of where they stand, with 12 months until the gradings are updated to determine membership of the top tier competition in 2025. We will also continue to work with clubs to develop the Minimum Standards that will sit alongside the Grading Criteria and continue to consult with Council.

“It is also important to reinforce that this outcome, whilst being crucial to the future growth of the sport, is only the first step. Work is currently underway to further develop the domestic calendar for 2024, deliver certainty to the international calendar and continue the digital transformation within rugby league that will continue to lay the foundations for a greater return from the sport’s assets in the future.”

Grading is set to come into full effect from 2025, with the top-tier league featuring 12 clubs including all ‘Category A’ teams and the highest-ranking ‘Category B’ outfits. Gradings will be reassessed annually, meaning that promotion and relegation between the tiers is expected to continue, although it will no longer be wholly determined by on-field performance.

Super League clubs currently engaged in infrastructure projects include the likes of Hull KR, Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity.

IMG Reimagining Rugby League Rugby Football League Rugby League Council Super League
Follow on Google News Follow on RSS
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email WhatsApp Copy Link
Previous ArticleFiera Milano Rho to be new home for speed skating at 2026 Winter Olympics
Next Article Tech Stack: 49ers, Cisco, NASCAR and more
Rob Ridley

Related Posts

EMEA

Everton bids farewell to Goodison Park

19th May 2025162 Views
EMEA

Ligue 1 attendances continue to rise

19th May 2025
EMEA

Council ends negotiations over Salford Community Stadium sale

16th May 2025142 Views

Get this News delivered to your inbox

Top Posts

USTA planning major revamp of Arthur Ashe Stadium

20th May 20254 Mins Read

Hill Dickinson lands naming rights to Everton’s new stadium

19th May 20253 Mins Read
YouTube LinkedIn Flickr
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Job Listings
  • Contact Us
Copyright © 2025 Xperiology. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

X We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However you may visit Settings to provide a controlled consent.
Read More Settings ACCEPT
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
__cf_bm30 minutesThis cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management.
__lc_cid2 yearsThis is an essential cookie for the website live chat box to function properly.
__lc_cst2 yearsThis cookie is used for the website live chat box to function properly.
__oauth_redirect_detectorpastThis cookie is used to recognize the visitors using live chat at different times inorder to optimize the chat-box functionality.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
last_pys_landing_page7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
last_pysTrafficSource7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_first_visit7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_landing_page7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_session_limit1 hourAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pys_start_sessionsessionAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
pysTrafficSource7 daysAnonymous cookie used to facilitate the 'PixelYourSite' plugin which manages our analytical services.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
vuid2 yearsVimeo installs this cookie to collect tracking information by setting a unique ID to embed videos to the website.
advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Save & Accept