Wigan Warriors’ success in winning the 2023 Grand Final ensured they were graded second behind only Leeds Rhinos; St Helens, Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves, Hull KR and Hull FC also achieve Grade A status; Castleford Tigers to lodge a formal appeal against their score
Last Updated: 25/10/23 10:06am
Leeds Rhinos earned the top score in a new Super League grading process
Leeds Rhinos are among seven Betfred Super League clubs to have been awarded Grade A status in the indicative phase of the new club grading process that is being introduced.
Rhinos returned the top score of 17.49 out of the maximum available 20 points, following detailed analysis of every club’s performance under five pillars – on-field performance, fandom, finances, stadium and community.
They are followed by three clubs separated by 0.14 points. Wigan Warriors’ success in winning the 2023 Grand Final lifted them to second on 16.87, ahead of St Helens in third on 16.78 and Catalans Dragons fourth on 16.73.
Warrington Wolves are fifth on 15.75, and both Hull clubs have earned A grades, with Hull KR sixth on 15.52, and Hull FC seventh on 15.05 – just above the threshold of 15 points required to be placed in the top tier.
- Fandom (5 points) – clubs’ fanbases would be assessed in areas such as match attendance, TV viewership, social media following and website visits
- On-field performance (5 points) – clubs would be ranked on league position in the last three seasons with bonus points for winning the league and cup competitions
- Finance (4.5 points) – clubs would be rewarded for profitability, financial stability and a diversification of revenue streams
- Stadium (3 points) – each club’s stadium and facilities would need to reach minimum standards and
- Community (2.5 points) – combines each club’s fanbase potential with a rating for their Foundation – the charitable bodies linked to clubs which drive much of their community and participation activity
It’s all part of new proposals brought forward by IMG for the future of the rugby league system that were passed by the Rugby League Council in April.
Membership for the 2025 Super League season will be determined by the top 12 teams in the 2024 rankings, which will be announced at the culmination of the next season.
Toulouse Olympique are the highest-performing club outside the Super League, with their score of 12.97 leaving them 10th in the indicative rankings, as the third strongest of the 17 clubs given a Grade B status.
Castleford Tigers indicated to the RFL late on Tuesday that they wished to lodge a formal appeal against their score. That appeal will be considered by the RFL in the coming days and any changes made will be confirmed following that process.
The main purpose of the grading process in 2023 is to give clubs a clear indication of their strengths and weaknesses, and the areas in which they need to improve in order to increase their score.
Tony Sutton, chief executive of the Rugby Football League, said: “The publication of these indicative club gradings is a highly significant step.
“The sport has had to examine itself more closely than ever, at all levels – whether in terms of our central governance, or for our clubs in assessing all areas of their off-field performance.
“The results are heartening, as seven of our clubs already reach the A Grade by reaching the score IMG set as the benchmark, and which we believe should be the level clubs need to achieve in order to confirm their place in our elite competition – and another 17 have earned a B Grade and now know exactly what they need to do to reach the higher level.
“Congratulations are due to the A Grade clubs, although I know they will not be resting on their laurels as the key to the grading process is that it is dynamic and requires clubs to maintain standards.
“All clubs also deserve recognition for the positive way in which they have engaged in this process, all with the aim of raising the standards of Rugby League – and of reimagining the sport.”
Grading was one of seven recommendations which were presented to Rugby League in the autumn of 2022 as part of IMG’s Reimagining of the sport, and which were supported by a substantial majority of clubs at all levels.
Grading has been designed to incentivise clubs to grow their fanbase and top-line non-centralised revenue, to better engage with fans, to be run in a best-in-class way, to invest in their club and the sport in a sustainable way, and to ensure strong governance.
