While the NRL wrestles with constitutional change, rugby league in Britain is at the crossroads – the same way it was when it switched to summer shortly after its centenary year.
On one side of the 12th parallel, there are the 12 Super League clubs. They are, to varying degrees, preparing to go it alone – hire their own chief executive, grab a bigger share of the TV money, and play more games overseas.
On the other side is the rest of the sport: the Championship and League One clubs, the amateur game, the representative set-up, kids leagues.
If one report is to be believed, eight of these teams will be invited to cross the drawbridge before it is pulled up. After that, it’s sink or swim for everyone outside the walled city with 20 occupants – two divisions of ten.
Caught in the crossfire, among many others, are the new teams from across the pond.
Toronto Wolfpack CEO Eric Perez.
The Toronto Wolfpack owe the Rugby Football League, having started out in League One last year, for their very existence. But now they have the roundtable of Super League owners to impress. Unlike the New Zealand Warriors, who get exactly one 16th of the NRL’s allocation to clubs of TV money, the feeling is that the Wolfpack will get none of it if they go up next year.
Instead, they’ll get to keep the lion’s share of North American TV rights – when and if they materialise.
Where does that leave the proposed New York, Boston and Hamilton Ontario bids? Do they attempt to ingratiate themselves to the Super League clubs or to the likes of Batley and Oxford, who will presumably be their opponents at first?
What if they have to chose which competition to join?
After all, Wigan owner Ian Lenegan did predict while in Australia that Super League would become an international competition within five years, throwing Perth into the mix.
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington has called all this speculation “piss-poor journalism” but given the secrecy surrounding some these seismic pressures, speculation is inevitable.
“Do Wigan just want to go play exhibition games around the world now?” the great Garry Schofield pondered on the Proper Sport Rugby League Show a week or so back.
The lower division clubs have met to prepare for battle, with RFL chairman Brian Barwick in attendance. They have a binding contract on their side – a structure that is locked in until 2021.
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Super League clubs will find it difficult to break away before then, as Hetherington pointed out.
But there are fears Sky won’t tip in anywhere near as much money when that deal is up. And unlike the NRL, the British game doesn’t have the money to invest in an expensive digital operation in preparation for the TV rights apocalypse.
It’s in this climate that there is a clamouring for the lifeboat.
There has been an explosion of ‘alternative’ media in the game this year, with the Rugby AM program getting on National TV and at Bradford match attracting more than 100,000 viewers on Facebook Live.
Toronto are streaming their matches outside Canada and the UK on a service that the biggest Premier League clubs utilise.
If Super League does successfully expand into North America, the prize is a big one: being able to compete with the NRL instead of play a distant second fiddle with a salary cap one-third the size.
Regardless of Hetherington’s caution, something is about to blow up. We just don’t know quite what at this stage.
clipper
Guest
Bill Moi - you have to understand that, according to Crosscoder rules, nothing negative must ever be said about league, otherwise you will invoke his or her wrath with long winded replys that end up with him and her always putting in the last work, no matter how many facts you put forth. Thanks for you reality bases comments, though.
Cathar Treize
Roar Guru
Hey Bill, it's a rugby league article, as you said, why bring AFL into it hey? You are so obvious.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Oh here we go. The David Moore letters Bill.using one of your many aliases.Just about run about of monikers on this site. And the petition never forget the petition. ' Hate" LOL.Your here for that very reason to express your distaste for rl, not to offer one iota of substance.Thus I guess for you desperate times, require desperate measures. I'm here providing facts ,which disturb you, and appear to have put you off balance.Like your completely ignorant comments on the Wolfpack,European Sports Commission,Denver the list goes on. You must have little time for the sport/s you supposedly follow, are they that boring for you or is tr.lling all you have in your threadbare armoury? I repeat not once ,has any of my points been proven wrong by you.
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
Which letters are these Taipan i mean Crosscoder? Im intrigued?? Now i responded to a statement by yourself claiming Rugby League wasn't a niche sport. Its a bit hypocritical if you can bring that up and i reply it isnt and you accuse me for not sticking to the topic mate? You just hate with a passion hearing the truth and yes i do get your passion for growing the game
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
The question I pose Bill,are you going to stick to the subject matter of this thread, or are you incapable doing so? Keep writing those letters mate, cringeworthy for an adult.
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder has Andrew Fifita decided whether he is Tongan or a New South Welshman Aboriginal this year? He may as well go back to being aboriginal this year its not like "Tonga" has heaps of games to play this year.. except that one in Western Sydney so it saves the Tongan Rugby League money on airfares to get players to the game. Just cant understand why "Tonga" wont play a game in Tonga when all the other Tongan national teams of other sports play there? Any ideas Taipan? I mean Crosscoder??
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
But you don't; give answers Bill ,just your usual defelections,porkies,and make ridiculous assumptions that none has suggested. IOW can;t take you seriously.Keep writing to the Herald mate.Get it off your chest.Stariting wiht rl is......you fill in the blanks.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Bill .Thank you for your devoted comments.they are in fact spectacularly and predictably meaningless but no doubt you put a lot of effort into making them.Pity. I'm sure the 40m Pounds the British Govt is providing to rugby league in total is chickenfeed.How dare they provide this to these sports, I share your grief.Better get your pen to paper and write to the Times.Protest loudly mate.You love being heard and seen.The Herald and Telegraph are enthralled by your contributions.
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
You ask me questions i give you answers and then you say nobody cares! Your going well Taipan keep it up
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
Its chickenfeed for large real International sports. Hence why its a niche sport mate
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Reality check Moi or whoever you pretend to be ,I'm not Mascord.You are getting extremely desperate poor chap. BTW there was no mention of the description" niche" sport in this article by Mascord.You know the very thread we are debating or in your case hijacking. I don't need support or be yes man or state porkies, like you to make a point. I've spelt out what monies are being spent by Govt,and the fact the code is actually played outside the heartlands .You can't handle the facts, and cannot prove my comments as being false. Not once. Are you so incapable of understanding money being spent by Govt is not chickenfeed. or is it too hard to digest .? Maybe I don't have a life Bill,then why are you so jealous?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I propose Bill seeing you have so much time on your hands) for you go forth and search the world both real and in your imagined one, and find someone who actually gives a fig, in what you state.
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
British Rugby League so Yorkshire, Lancashire and club in London that has rebranded itself 8 times and still cant get 2000 to a game? Im pretty sure is classify that as a niche sport in Britain.. wouldnt you think so mate?
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder even the Journo Mascord has described it as a niche sport in many of his articles. What cant you get through your head?
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
And we are discussing British rugby leagues,so once again you going off half cocked about 220 countries, highlights your complete disdain for the subject of the thread.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
A load of bunkum Bill.I stated nothing of the sort.You are unable to digest facts.Iin fact left it open.So you made your usual wrong assumption. I stated rl was securing X amount(many millions) of Govt funding for its growth and development at grassroots in England and for the 2021 RLWC .If that's for a so called Clipper described "niche "sport, then you and your fellow rl hater have a funny definition of the word. Especially as it gets decent viewer numbers on club numbers on TV(more than club union) and the Challenge Cup. In fact the code is small by comparison to soccer and indeed unions what. Keep up the hogwash, we'll have a pig farm shortly.
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
I'm looking for new factual rl material Bill ,unfortunately yours doesn't fit the category. For the umpteenth time of asking show me where my statements are wrong?
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
So Rugby League hasnt been around for 120 years? And the "World" Cup is not atleast 60 years old?? Then we need an excuse why its a niche sport in 218 of 220
Bill Moi
Roar Rookie
Crosscoder you said it wasn't a niche sport. Thats a false comment right there
Crosscoder
Roar Guru
Let's just say Emcie it is a 3day account, that automatically updates when the 3 days is up. The same inaccurate ,at times false comments,using false assumptions and perpetrated by the same poster, using the same methodology, sticks out like the proverbial. And he hasn't proved any of my statements as being false.Paper weight.