Super League declined huge offer from global brand due to self interests says agent

Right now the future of rugby league is very exciting with IMG set to re-imagine the sport.

However, this isn’t the only time where a global force has tried to get involved in rugby league.

Speaking on the Show Me The Money UK TV YouTube channel rugby league player agent Craig Harrison revealed that beloved and worldwide brand Nike wanted to get involved in a Super League club in the past.

However, after five minutes of a meeting, the offer was declined due to self-interest:

Harrison said: “Four or five years ago, Nike showed an interest to come into our sport and the club that they showed an interest in went to a board meeting and said ‘what is it worth for us to bring Nike into Super League?

“He sold it with how good it would be to have the number one sporting brand in the world involved in rugby league and sponsoring this, this and this.

“He said to the others ‘are you willing to subsidise a little bit of the centralisation money to bring them in?’ but the vote was 11-1, unanimous within four seconds.

“He said it would be for the game, how much branding Nike would bring in, worldwide showing our sport off.

“It was typical of our sport, it was self-gain on the individuals, it never got past the first six minutes of the meeting. He was devastated and couldn’t believe it. It could have led on to them sponsoring players.

“A sporting brand like Nike would have brought an all new level of glamour to the sport.”