Super League promotion and relegation debate likely to return claims Championship CEO

A debate on how promotion to and relegation from Super League works under IMG is expected to return soon according to one Championship CEO.

At the latest RFL Council Meeting, held earlier this month, a proposal put forward by Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams aimed at amending the rules on promotion to Super League was rejected.

The proposal suggested that should a Grade B side win the Championship Grand Final then they should earn promotion to Super League – either replacing the lowest Grade B club or expanding the competition if all of Super League had Grade A status.

It was a proposal rejected by 63% of the vote but according to Featherstone Rovers chairman Martin Vickers, it’s a conversation that he expects to return to be debated in the future.

Speaking recently on the Championship side’s YouTube channel, Vickers labelled the debate as ‘the best in several years’ at an RFL Council and claimed that he expects debates to continue in the coming months and years, stating ‘this matter hasn’t gone’.

Super League promotion debate leaves a ‘door’ for Championship sides

Clarifying what the debate entailed, the Featherstone chairman explained: “In terms of the discussion and debate about the proposal, which let’s be clear was to promote the Grand Final winner to the detriment of the lowest-placed Grade B team in the top tier.

“There was some anomalies in that. You could have a Grade B team that had played in the play-offs and been the lowest team. So it wasn’t clear cut. You could find and be devil’s advocate about that.

“What I would say is that it was probably the best debate at the Rugby League Council that I’ve participated in for several years to be honest.”

He would quickly add that whilst officially deemed a ‘failed proposal’, it’s one that he believes will incite further debate and represents a matter that ‘hasn’t gone away’.

Vickers added: “Although it’s reported that it failed and that it’s a no, my take on it was that the debate will prompt more discussion and dialogue about that because many clubs, including top clubs, are worried about the integrity of the sport without promotion and relegation.

“I’d like to think that there was a real commitment from the RFL Board that this matter hasn’t gone away and that they’re going to come back to the clubs with real options.

“I’d say to our fans that although it’s been reported as a failure, there’s still a door there for finding the balance between clubs investing in infrastructure and matchday experiences, as well as not losing the spirit of the game with promotion and relegation.

“I didn’t come out of it too fazed and thinking ‘That’s Featherstone never going to get promotion.’ It wasn’t like that. There are still debates about how many teams are going to be in the top league. There are still debates about promotion and relegation and how that can sit about a standards-led structure.”

Currently, promotion on-field only exists between the Championship and League One with the make-up of Super League entirely down to a team’s IMG score.