IMG Are Seeking Your Views Rugby League supporters have been invited to contribute to the ‘reimagining Rugby League’ consultation currently being conducted by the sport’s strategic partner IMG. A survey has been launched today through the RFL and Super League digital channels Rugby League Fan Survey (qualtrics.com), and will close at the end of August. It covers a range of key areas such as viewing habits and preferences, competitions, and overseas clubs. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

IMG Are Seeking Your Views Rugby League supporters have been invited to contribute to the ‘reimagining Rugby League’ consultation currently being conducted by the sport’s strategic partner IMG. A survey has been launched today through the RFL and Super League digital channels Rugby League Fan Survey (qualtrics.com), and will close at the end of August. It covers a range of key areas such as viewing habits and preferences, competitions, and overseas clubs. READ MORE ON THIS STORY...

Done.

Quite a few where I thought ‘it depends’ but a well put together survey.

After 60 years of watching, playing & following the game this is the first time I’ve ever been asked for my opinion. That is a start, I think they could have asked a few more questions but let’s not complain as we have been asked?

I think there are some big, fundamental questions to be first defined and the hopefully addressed. Around the urgent need to bring in more revenue and where there are tensions between that and preserving our traditions. Who are stakeholders, now and in the future, and how best to respond to their varied priorities. SL had its time, and it was by no means a bad time. Feels a bit stale now though… or maybe that is just me drifting ever deeper into middle age.

A couple things that I’d like to see recognised…

The full-time pro and semi-pro clubs should have their own, non-overlapping competitions. It should be possible to move between them, but P&R is unlikely to be the best way. Traditional, regional semi-pro leagues I think could find a healthy, wholesome niche in the way that non-league football has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent times.

If we do go for franchising at the top level, then it needs to be understood that one-size-fits-all only works if clubs are very roughly the same size. So either painful decisions need to be made to improve balance or clubs need to have sufficient autonomy to operate in the way that best suits them - e.g. Salford get knocked for not running an academy when current circumstances clearly (to me) mean there’s next no point in them doing so… for anybody, really. Maybe even both, and have a competition of ideas rather than relying on ‘common sense’ consensus.

Ultimately, my personal pipe dream for the northern hemisphere top level would be two eight-team conferences or three six-team conferences (Eastern, Western and Southern & Continental), either of which would allow 22 regular season rounds.