John Asiata claims Derek Beaumont ‘walks everything he talks’ as inside look on radical rebrand is revealed

Leigh Leopards are flying high in Super League despite their recent loss to Wigan Warriors but they’re headed to Wembley in this fairy-tale season for them, and now captain John Asiata has heaped praise on owner Derek Beaumont detailing how he has developed the club, plus how Asiata himself has taken to the rebranding of the club after his initial confusion.

Speaking on the Super League YouTube channel, Asiata detailed his views on the rebrand, and how it eventually grew on him. “First thought was, wasn’t a fan of just how everything looked, but it got a lot of people talking,” he said. “It got a lot of people interested whether it was good or bad in what we were doing here at the club. And for myself, it took me a while to sort of get my head around it but yeah, it’s been unreal. It’s been good being different. We’re not the same as anyone else.”

He also spoke highly of owner Derek Beaumont, saying: “What he’s done and what he’s invested in the game and what we’ve done as a team and as a club this year is different to everyone. He puts himself out there and he walks everything that he talks.”

The rebranding of the club did come under some initial criticism, however the video posted on Super League’s YouTube channel titled “Derek Beaumont: Unleashing the Leopards”, it detailed how the fans were first consulted, and more importantly approved of the rebrand.

Gill Wood, Non-Executive Director at the Leigh Leopards detailed the events of the presentation to the fans, and how they felt on it. “The presentation was excellent,” she said. “The comparison between where we’ve been and what we want to achieve, when you look at what is success.

She added: “The fans did ask questions and they did, you know, they were also very honest, which was great. The fans that came in thinking one thing, I would say 98% of them went out feeling a different way, in a more positive way, more accepting.”

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, Leigh opted for a rebrand of the club, changing from Leigh Centurions to Leigh Leopards. This came with a fully revamped badge, kit and feel around the club as they improved the game day experience at the club. The fans have fully invested into the new idea of the club, as seen recently with fans queuing for two hours to get their hands on the limited edition Leopard print shirt for the Challenge Cup Final.