Leigh Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has finally reacted to the club’s preliminary IMG grading, however he’s more focused on 2025 where he has ensured fans that they will be a Grade A club.
The Leopards ranked 12th among the 35 professional clubs when the preliminary grades came out at the start of November, however with claims from 13th placed Castleford that they had been cut short half a point it had created concern for Leigh fans.
It was stated by the RFL that Castleford’s appeal would be heard and the points resurrected within “days not weeks”, however as of this past week Serious About Rugby League understands that no further update can be provided on that matter.
As such Leigh are still in some form of uncertainty but owner Derek Beaumont has now cleared that for all Leopards fans, boldly and confidently claiming that Leigh will be Super League’s eighth Grade A club.
In a video statement shared to the club website and Youtube, Beaumont detailed his own team’s grade whilst also talking about possible changes and issues with the grading system.
Beaumont explained: “So on ours I think we scored 12.45 if I’m not mistaken. I haven’t got the individual pillar scores here but I’m happy to publish them, which I’ll do with a written release.
“Our financial performance score was 1.3 out of 4.5 when we got the 12.45 and the work that I’ve done in and around the finances of the club, which the accountant is formalising at the moment and is sending to the RFL to ensure it’s right, means that when accounts are filed the increase in our score on the is to 4.05.”
He went on to explain how the finance score would be improved with the club in the process of filing their accounts and that by moving money and “deliberating” the Leopards would certainly reach an A grade.
He explained: “I’ve been deliberating in here and we get to we get to the magic number of 15, which is Grade A and that’s what we will be announced as next year is 15.05 at least as a Grade A. We can improve depending on what we achieve this year but it definitely won’t go worse.
“So Leigh will be the 8th Grade A club and I can say that to our fans with gratuity and our sponsors and partners.”
Despite that great news he still took issue with how the system worked, adding: “But for me, to be sat making decisions around finances and how I’m dealing with loans and investment and what money I’m putting into the club that’s largely just sat there isn’t the right way. It’s fundamentally not right.
