London Broncos apply to be Super League expansion club
The London Broncos rugby league team have applied to join an expanded Super League next season, the club have confirmed.
Super League is growing from 12 teams to 14 in time for the 2026 season, with the Broncos one of 12 clubs expressing an interest in joining the English top flight.
“London Broncos can confirm we are one of the 12 clubs who have lodged an interest in joining the proposed expansion of Super League to 14 clubs in 2026,” the club said in a statement.
“We are currently in the process of putting together a strong presentation that will be submitted by the September 12th deadline with the outcome announced on October 16th.”
The club, which plays at AFC Wimbledon’s Plough Lane, was recently forced to deny that they have made a decision on potentially changing the name of the London club.
Former Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington is leading a revival of the club but a name change to “The Hounds” was denied by the club back in June.
Super League expansion for London Broncos
The Super League expansion has come as a result of a review into the game led by Nigel Wood, which looked into a number of problems with the English top flight.
But concerns remain surrounding the criteria needed to be a Super League club after global sports agency IMG used metrics such as crowd size and community outreach to help pick top flight clubs.
“I think it’s the right direction of travel in terms of minimum standards,” Warrington Wolves chief Karl Fitzpatrick told City PM this month. “But it probably needs looking at, if I’m being honest.
“Let’s say you take your car for its MOT and you know the car’s a banger and probably shouldn’t pass, but you’re going to patch it up just to get it through its MOT – that’s what it’s like in the grading criteria.
“Some clubs have been given a Grade A license, which I would say is probably not reality – they shouldn’t be really getting the Grade A.”
The London Broncos are 10th in the Betfred Championship, 24 points off top club York.