Super League Clubs Reject £35m Australian Investment as Talks Stall
Super League Clubs Reject £35m Australian Investment as Talks Stall
Super League clubs have turned down a £35m investment package from the Australian Rugby League Commission, the body that runs the sport in Australia. A second deadline, 15 October, has now passed without a deal, according to BBC Sport.
England head coach Brian McDermott wants the door kept open. He has called for Super League to accept investment from the NRL, the top men's competition in Australia. McDermott is also an assistant coach at the Gold Coast Titans, an NRL club, so he knows both sides of the divide well.
Why does the money matter? The NRL signed a $5.3bn (£3.97bn) television deal over seven years in July. That is the sort of figure that sets the pace for the whole sport. Super League's current Sky Sports deal is worth around £21.5m a year, and it ends at the close of 2026. A broadcast deal is the contract that pays clubs for the right to show matches on TV.
Super League has not yet agreed a new title sponsor, finished its broadcast talks or set its fixtures for the 2027 season. Those are the pieces that will shape next year's competition, and they are all still open.
The league itself is changing shape. Bradford Bulls, York Knights and Toulouse Olympique have joined an expanded 14-team Super League. Wakefield won this season's Grand Final, the play-off decider that settles the title.
Not every story is about the top flight. London Broncos won the second tier's Grand Final and the 1895 Cup, and finished as runaway regular-season champions. Even so, they sit 16th on the yearly grading list, below Championship side Barrow Raiders. The club has backing from Australian businessman Grant Wechsel and former Brisbane Broncos star Darren Lockyer.
Then there is the World Cup. McDermott believes England have the quality, character and preparation to make their mark at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup, as Rugby League World Cup coverage reported earlier this month. For England, the tournament is the next big test, and the club arguments about money and fixtures will rumble on in the background.
For supporters, the immediate question is simple. Will Super League find a route to new investment before the 2027 season starts, or will the clubs keep going it alone? For now, the answer is not known.
