Teams will no longer be relegated out of the Betfred Super League, after the majority of the professional game's 37 clubs voted in favour of the new plans put in place by the league’s new strategic partner, IMG.
All 12 Super League clubs have voted in favour of the new plan, after IMG presented their vision last month to the public and private shareholders, marking the beginning of the 12-year strategic partnership between Super League, the RFL and the sports management company.
After months of monitoring pretty much everything in the sport, IMG’s proposals were put forward, including a re-positioned and re-aligned calendar that will facilitate the international game as well as bringing about a new style of season that should see an increasing level of compelling games and ‘peaks’ of interest amongst fans.
A large part of the proposal included the idea of clubs being graded through a system to decide whether they can participate in the top tier of rugby league. Category A clubs will be guaranteed a spot in Super League, with Category B being assessed annually and will work towards securing a spot in the top category. This also includes the non-UK clubs being capped and with more standards than UK clubs to ensure that the domestic game grows first.
It has been confirmed that among the 37 clubs involved in the current rugby league pyramid, almost all voted in favour of the changes, with the first alterations being introduced in the form of scrapping relegation from Super League from the 2024 season onwards. Keighley Cougars have stated that they were the only club to vote against the proposals, while it is believed there were also a small number of abstentions.
According to RFL Chair, Simon Johnson, the proposals “landed very well” with clubs when they were presented with the ideas last month, despite some of the ideas perhaps seeming radical to fans at first.
*18+ | BeGambleAware | Odds Subject To Change
