London Broncos’ Super League omission ‘disappointing’ as Gary Hetherington issues update on project

Star signing Reagan Campbell-Gillard will “light up” the Championship for London Broncos next year, club co-chairman Gary Hetherington says.

Hetherington confirmed Campbell-Gillard, who has played nine times for Australia, will be a Broncos player in 2026, despite London missing out on a place in the top-flight.

Campbell-Gillard has 245 NRL appearances to his name, for Penrith Panthers, Parramatta Eels and Gold Coast Titans and was a World Cup winner with Australia three years ago.

Both he and ex-Tonga and New Zealand Test hooker Siliva Havili, recruited from South Sydney Rabbitohs, put pen to paper before Broncos knew which division they will be playing in next year.

The top-12 on the latest IMG club gradings secured an automatic place in the elite competition, with two other clubs being selected by a panel through an application process.

Broncos, 16th on the table, had their bid turned down, with Toulouse Olympique and York Knights getting the nod instead, but Hetherington confirmed: “The signings made were done irrespective of which division the club will be playing in. Somebody like Campbell-Gillard will be lighting up the Championship next year.”

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Super League snub ‘disappointing’ for London Broncos

Hetherington, who will step down as Leeds Rhinos chief executive on November 1, admitted the panel’s decision was a setback.

He said: “I feel London Broncos will be completely transformed as a club and organisation, would have been ready for Super League next season and would certainly have contributed on and off the field.

“It is disappointing not to have got the support of the panel, but I think the process in terms of appointing clubs was the right one, so it’s not a criticism of the panel at all – it’s just disappointing London Broncos aren’t going to be in Super League next season.”

He added: “Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel are committed to the project. It is not a short-term project, it is a long-term one, but I think we can make some pretty significant gains fairly quickly.

“It is a transformational project, it’s not about rugby league surviving in London, it is how can we make it successful, not only for the capital, but also for the south of England.”