Leigh Centurions’ outspoken owner Derek Beaumont has outlined an idea which, he says, will provide a bright light for rugby league’s future in the UK.
Beaumont, who owns AB Sundecks which sponsors the 1895 Cup, told BBC Radio Manchester that the way forward for the sport is for two leagues of ten teams.
“There should be two leagues of ten which means you can then have a proper international weekend,” Beaumont said.
“You’ve got to get the fixtures up so you might have an updated cup version with a mini-league and then a knockout competition.
“You would need more than nine home games to fund that, but there could also be a Lancashire and Yorkshire Cup, as well as State of Origin games.
“People want to see meaningful games – the best advertisement I’ve seen for rugby league was the Hull derby.
“The atmosphere was fantastic, the game was to and fro, we ned to get the neutral tuning in to see that excitement.”
