Chaos is engulfing Super League’s expansion plans as clubs publicly decry the Rugby Football League’s (RFL) failure to provide a coherent financial strategy for the proposed 14-team competition. This glaring omission has triggered a significant challenge from clubs who fear they are being asked to approve a change that could lead to financial instability across the sport.
At the heart of the dispute is the missing paperwork. Multiple sources from several clubs have confirmed that requests for a detailed financial analysis of the expansion’s impact have gone unanswered by the RFL. The vote to approve the expansion in July was reportedly conducted without any supporting documents being circulated, a procedural failure that has now come back to haunt the governing body and cast doubt on the legitimacy of the decision.
The financial context for this dispute is critical. Super League’s income from its main broadcaster, Sky Sports, has already been dramatically reduced, and the broadcaster is understood to be against adding more teams. This has created a nightmare scenario for clubs: more teams to share the money with, but no extra money in the pot. The logical conclusion, they fear, is a smaller slice of revenue for every club, potentially threatening their professional status.
The situation is exacerbated by the fragile state of some existing clubs, with Salford Red Devils’ financial troubles serving as a cautionary tale. Critics of the expansion find it “perplexing” that the league would consider growing at a time of such uncertainty and without providing its key stakeholders—the clubs themselves—with a rigorous analysis of the risks and rewards.
In the face of this growing opposition, the RFL has pointed to the “overwhelming” vote in July as justification for proceeding. However, the dissenters argue that this vote was based on an incomplete picture. With clubs now lobbying intensely behind the scenes, the RFL is under pressure to produce the financial plan that clubs have been demanding, or risk the entire expansion project falling apart due to a self-inflicted crisis of confidence.