Connect with us

Super League

Jon Wilkin says IMG proposals “go against British culture”

The Rugby League Council, the sport’s decision-making body which comprises representatives from all three professional competitions and the community game, have today voted in favour of Club Grading – the first recommendation from IMG, the sport’s long term strategic partner, as part of the Reimagining Rugby League strategy.

In a Special General Meeting in Huddersfield, the Yorkshire town where the rebel rugby code was formed as the Northern Union in 1895, the recommendations were supported by a majority of clubs in each of the three professional competitions, and received unanimous support from the community game.

These changes will see the end of normal promotion and relegation in rugby league.

Jon Wilkin has acknowledged that this goes against British culture but has said it is massive for the game.

“It is massive. IMG were brought on as a partner to grow and market the sport and provide strategy and recommendations and one of those recommendations is a grading system which goes against this British culture of promotion and relegation,” he said on Sky Sports.

“Essentially if your team ticks off several criteria and does very well, you can get promoted to Super League whether you win the competition below or not.

“It sounds ludicrous to every day sport fans but what I am delighted about is the fact that we have brought IMG in who are specialists in this sort of thing and the game has overwhelmingly and the clubs have overwhelmingly supported it.

“It would have been so rugby league for us to get to this situation where in a boardroom somewhere they say ‘we are not having it, get rid of them.’

“But they have actually gone for it.”

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Must See

More in Super League