The clock is ticking for an NRL-led takeover of Super League with one CEO outlining plans amid fears for the sport’s future in England.
It’s not just fears for the future of rugby league in England that are driving Wests Tigers CEO Shane Richardson, but also an ambition to make rugby league the predominant code across the world.
“What we want is to create rugby league as the number one rugby competition in the world,” Richardson told The Daily Telegraph.
Explaining that NRL is now number one in Australia and that there is buy-in from the Pacific Islands, Richardson admitted: “What we haven’t got is the buy-in of the competition running around in England.”
It also doesn’t look too likely that will change with Super League set to expand to 14 teams with Nigel Wood having a significant role in that decision. That counters the NRL’s vision of a ten-team competition that has nothing to do with Nigel Wood, someone Richardson dealt with whilst he worked in England.
What an NRL-led Super League takeover would look like and why it won’t happen
As such, Super League teams have a dilemma of either accepting NRL funding or going it on their own and the window isn’t open forever with the NRL having to begin their own broadcast negotiations soon.
Richardson outlined the vision, which was first made public in April, explaining: “Our attitude was it needs to be a competition that starts with 10 teams – two of which are from France, six are definitely from England and two others would apply and come in on the basis of what they do.
“No relegation, lock in a five year deal so we can sell that deal to play X number of games to be decided upon. The NRL put money into it, a large amount of money.”
The NRL would then run Super League for five years before handing back control once systems are in place, with Richardson adding that it could not be called Super League as that’s a “tired and smashed brand”.
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Discussing the plans, he clarified: “It’s got to be clear in everybody’s mind that the NRL went into this process not to make money or take over Super League for the rest of their life.
“What they need to do is have an NRL-style of competition which is saleable to television as a real product and it’s the perfect time for it because rugby union is in complete and utter disarray in England.”
Rugby League isn’t in much better state with the latest accounts from RL Commercial confirming a loss of over £3,000,000 in broadcast turnover from 2023 to 2024.
On rugby league in England, Richardson surmised: “It’s never going to get ahead because the same people are in charge now as when I was on the Super League board.
“My point about it is that nothing’s changed … because no one wanted to make the tough calls.”
Whilst not entirely true, a number of key players do remain on the board and the return of Nigel Wood has been viewed as a massive step backwards by those Down Under who had genuine hopes of revitalising Super League.
