The future of every Super League club, no, every rugby league club in the UK is in the hands of IMG, from Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos, Warrington Wolves and St Helens to the teams chasing Super League promotion such as Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers and others.
Speaking of promotion, Super League promotion will no longer be determined in the same way that it has in recent years.
In fact it is a move back towards the system used from 2009-14 but with more details and a yearly look at the grades of every club which will determine whether they have a place in Super League or not.
These grades will be determined by a number of factors that have already been outlined by IMG and the RFL.
They are as follows:
Fandom: 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: 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: reflecting the success of fan engagement and business performance and rewarding sustainable investment, as well as diversified revenue streams and sound financial management.
Stadium: 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: 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.
However, now the RFL have published the IMG handbook which provides the full details behind points awarded to clubs for every area.
In this, they have revealed the minimum standards for a Super League stadium.
The minimum capacity is 5,000 with a minimum of 2,000 seats if agreed by stadium advisory group.
There is a minimum 200 sponsored seats and the same for corporate lounges with 40 seats expected in the Directors Box.
In terms of Broadcasting it reads: “Designated parking area for broadcast operation. Minimum of
50m by 50m. 50 car park spaces for OB Compound. Suitable surface to satisfaction of broadcaster for OB Compound to be located. Additional 15 car park spaces for broadcast staff.”
Likewise for media it reads: “The press box should be able to accommodate 30 in comfort with
an overflow area of 20 seats. Should be equipped with firmly fixed flat working surfaces. Overhead lighting should be provided. There should be a room which can be used as a working press lounge & conference facility. TV monitor in press box.”
Clubs will also be awarded 0.125 points for having an LED screen.
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