London Broncos: Automatic Super League promotion not off table
London Broncos have insisted automatic promotion to the Super League remains on the table.
Reports had suggested that the club – which would become the only English Super League team south of Warrington – would not be automatically admitted into the top flight of rugby league and would be forced to, like everyone else, rely on a superior club failing their end-of-season review to be promoted.
But co-owners Darren Lockyer and Grant Wechsel, speaking to City PM, stressed that promotion was possible should the distribution of central funds to other clubs not be diluted by their inclusion, with Betfred’s expiring league sponsorship deal seen as an opportunity to go to market at a higher price point.
“I don’t think expansion is off the table but it comes down to the money that is in the game,” former player Lockyer said. “If it has the ability to expand because the pot is big enough to grow the game by one or two teams next year then I think the game’s willing to look at that.
Wechsel added: “All of the Super League clubs I have spoken to are supportive of having us in the top flight but none of them want to go backwards themselves.
“We’re hoping over the next four, six, eight weeks to be a lot clearer over what that pot looks like.”
London Broncos on the march
It comes amid a backdrop of changing circumstances for Super League, with discussions surrounding investment from the Australian NRL ongoing. Lockyer stated that the next few months is pivotal for the future of the game following on from a record broadcast deal Down Under which spans seven years and is worth over £2.5m.
“Chairman Peter V’landys wants the game to be the best version of itself globally,” he added, “so getting the NRL involved will be big for the game and it helps our cause in London.”
But the Broncos do need to solve one issue: their stadium. Currently ground sharing with AFC Wimbledon in south west London, the Broncos are forced to play away for months to enable the football team to re-lay their pitch. It has prompted a search for a potential new home.
“As an Australian in summer,” Wechsel added, “I think, ‘How good is this?’, but there is also no football and no rugby union so if we are going to capture London we need to be able to play at home in that period and we haven’t played at Wimbledon since May. It is a great stadium but logistically it is a big issue for us.”