New Castleford Tigers owner Martin Jepson has responded to NRL takeover rumours as well as what he thinks the RFL and the clubs should be focusing on to push the game forward.
Jepson was already a shareholder in the Tigers but the club announced at Magic Weekend that he will now be their majority owner, buying shares from Ian and Janet Fulton.
However, whilst he’s going to be investing in the Castleford club, he’s also looking at the bigger picture of rugby league in this country and a potential partnership with the NRL.
Jepson remained tight-lipped on the rumours but mentioned that any investment would be welcomed when speaking to Stuart Pyke on Sky Sports.
On the rumoured NRL investment, he said: “It’s been well reported, we should welcome any interest of a serious nature from people who want to invest in our sport and help us grow the sport.
“It’s a great sport, but I don’t think we get the message across as well as we can do for various reasons.”
Castleford Tigers owner on reaching new audiences and further investment in the game over here
Jepson shared that since he lives in the south, he believes that the RFL and Super League have a real opportunity to reach new audiences there.
He added: “I can tell you that there are a lot of people there who don’t see it on a regular basis.
“When they do come to see the game, they think it’s a fantastic spectacle, but how do we make that reach across?”
However, when asked about any details he might have heard about Super League and the NRL working together, the Castleford Tigers owner’s answer was short: “Neither have I.”
He did share that whilst he would welcome working with the NRL, they should also be open to any and all investments.
He added: “We can’t just rely on one person coming in with a golden ticket to take us out of where we are.
“We have to keep growing the game and looking at what we can do.
“We’ve got to be better as a group, we’ve got to lead the game better, and we’ve got to then find that investment to come into the game.
“What we can’t do is solely rely on one focus; we’ve got to be open to any sensible discussions.”
