Complete IMG grading system finally revealed

The futures of clubs like Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Warrington Wolves as well as sides like Featherstone Rovers, Bradford Bulls, York and Halifax Panthers will all be determined by IMG’s Grading criteria.

Despite objections from clubs like Keighley Cougars and the Batley Bulldogs, IMG’s grading criteria was voted in earlier this year and has five main pillars.

These are the following:

Fandom (25%): encouraging clubs to attract more fans in stadia, at home and digitally, and to improve fan engagement, contributing to both club and central revenues.
Performance (25%): incentivising clubs to perform on the field and drive fan awareness and engagement. Teams will be ranked between 1 and 36 based on where they finish in the leagues for the previous three seasons. Bonus points will be awarded to teams who win league and cup competitions in the previous season.
Finances (25%): reflecting the success of fan engagement and business performance and rewarding sustainable investment, as well as diversified revenue streams and sound financial management.
Stadium (15%): 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.
Catchment (10%): based on area population and the number of clubs in the area, with a view to maximising growth of the sport in the largest markets to generate new fan bases and incentivise investment.

These just provide the basis but now an indepth look has been published on the RFL’s website revealing how each and every point will be awarded.

This gives fans the chance to determine what kind of position their club are in with IMG’s criteria set to come into play next year with sides set to be awarded a dummy grade at the end of this season.

You can read the IMG handbook here.