Gary Hetherington has firmed up his plans to breathe fresh life into London Broncos and the sport of rugby league in the capital.
Hetherington, who will leave his chief executive position with Leeds Rhinos at the end of the season, has been working with London Broncos in a bid to turn the club around following David Hughes’ departure and indeed save the sport’s presence in London.
Hetherington is working to bring in new ownership, with an Australian consortium thought to be close to a takeover, and in a media event on Wednesday, he has outlined his five-year plan for the club.
The new ownership group is central to that plan, while Hetherington has also spoken about launching a new brand for next season and committing to reinstating the London Player Academy.
A statement released by the club also revealed that Hetherington insists the club will stay put at Plough Lane, while the club are now working with sports advisory firm Freshwater Strategy.
“Rugby League is at a significant moment both nationally and globally, and London needs to be a part of that,” Hetherington said in a statement posted on the Broncos website.
“Stephen Smith, Australia’s High-Commissioner to the United Kingdom, and his team recognise the importance of Rugby League in terms of our links to Australia and the wider South Pacific – and in a year when we will see the return of the Rugby League Ashes for the first time since 2003, with the First Test at Wembley on October 25, this is the perfect time to consider how best to maximise that potential.
“The sport may have been born in the North, but its links to London stretch back more than a century – even before the decision to take the Challenge Cup Final to Wembley in 1929.
“This year, Wembley will stage two major Rugby League occasions – Betfred Challenge Cup Finals Day on June 7, followed by the first Ashes Test in 22 years.
“That’s a timely reminder of the importance of the health of the sport in London and the South as we continue to stage our major occasions in front of a national audience.
“One of the purposes of holding the launch event was to illustrate that London has continued to deliver for Rugby League, even with the Broncos club out of the Super League.
“There are products of the London Academy scattered around other clubs, from Mike McMeeken at Wakefield Trinity to Kai Pearce-Paul at the Newcastle Knights in Australia.
“London Broncos Women reached the Quarter Finals of the Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup this season, and London Roosters will play in the Final of the Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup for the first time next month after beating Leeds Rhinos in Saturday’s Semi Final.
“The quality of the community teams in the Southern Conference League should not be underestimated, as Wests Warriors showed in their run to the Third Round of the Betfred Challenge Cup and a highly creditable performance against Leeds Rhinos at Headingley.
“There is so much to work with – and the Rugby League environment is receptive, with the NRL thriving in the southern hemisphere, and IMG’s strategic plan for reimagining Rugby League in the UK and Europe gathering momentum.”
London Broncos chief Mike Eccles reacts gives Gary Hetherington backing
Reacting to the news, the club’s current director of rugby and performance Mike Eccles, said: “There is an obvious requirement to strengthen the team for 2025 which is currently active and ongoing. However it is our ambition to ensure we build not only a competitive squad for the present, but also a squad that is built largely on homegrown talent for sustained and lasting success for the future.
“We remain committed to providing professional Rugby League opportunities for young players from London and the South of England. To do so we plan to work closely with the RFL to resurrect professional academy structures and begin to rebuild a system that taps into the games largest and most diverse talent pool. We recognise the incredible work that goes on at junior league level in the south and within the Southern Conference League. We hope to work closer than ever before with all clubs in the South in an attempt to support player and coach development.
“Recent history has shown that both London Broncos and the wider game benefit from strong junior development structures in the South. It is our commitment to ensure these structures are resurrected and the quality work from the past is built on to create an unrivalled talent pathway. The journey to producing the next Kai Pearce-Paul, Mike McMeeken or Bill Leyland begins now.”
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