Survival of English rugby league dependent on a ‘classic’ Ashes series, argues NRL voice

The upcoming Ashes series must be a ‘classic’ for English rugby league to ‘survive and prosper’ according to one former Australian international.

Matty Johns, who was capped nine times by his nation in the 1990s before signing for Wigan in 2001 for a one-year stint, was speaking about the state of rugby league in England and how the upcoming Ashes series can be a huge shot in the arm for the game.

In fact, he’s argued that English rugby league needs a ‘classic’ Ashes series if it’s to ‘survive and prosper’ in a somewhat damning assessment of the sport in the northern hemisphere.

“The importance of this series for the English game is monumental,” Johns claimed on SEN Radio.

“I think in the history of the English game, for it to survive and more to the point prosper, then this series has to be a classic.”

Can the Ashes save English rugby league?

The three-Test series begins in just under a fortnight with Wembley serving as the stage for the opening game on Saturday October 25th.

Tests two and three will then be played the following Saturday’s at Everton’s new ground, the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and then the more familiar rugby league ground of Headingley.

Those latter Tests are both sold out and did so in very impressive time whilst ticket sales for Wembley have surpassed 50,000 meaning around 120,000 tickets have already been sold but the sport needs help in the opinion of Johns.

He explained: “We’ve got a situation over there at the moment, the salary cap compared to the NRL is minuscule, and it’s shortening all the time.

“The drama they have over there, and it’s not just specific to Rugby League, a lot of the big Rugby Union clubs in England have gone broke as well.”

A number of rugby league clubs have ‘gone broke’ in recent years with Salford Red Devils and Featherstone Rovers the latest clubs in huge financial disarray, with both set to face HMRC winding up orders in the coming weeks.

With the current TV deal expiring at the end of the 2026 and sports such as football landing huge deals, rugby league could continue to be forced out if something big doesn’t change.

A three-Test Ashes series that is broadcast free-to-air on the BBC could well be the catalyst for the sport to ‘prosper’ as Johns argues, whilst a bad one would certainly lead to questions over it’s survival.

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