Super League To Add Two Clubs And Return To 14-team Competition For 2026

Super League will go a 14-team title again successful 2026 aft rugby league’s elite clubs opted to grow by 2 teams for nan commencement of adjacent season.

The convention has operated pinch 12 teams for nan past decade but clubs agreed to nan description connected Monday astatine a gathering successful Leeds which opens nan doorway for astatine slightest 2 Championship teams to subordinate nan elite ranks for 2026.

That was chiefly owed to nan truth that a 27-round regular play is much appealing pinch 14 teams arsenic it requires nary loop fixtures. The move was besides owed to a fearfulness that Toulouse could decorativeness 12th successful nan IMG gradings astatine nan extremity of this year, which would person granted them admittance to Super League and near 2 French clubs successful nan apical division.

Wood and a number of clubs felt that would beryllium a backwards measurement for nan game, and frankincense launched a push to urge description to 14 teams arsenic soon arsenic possible. That move was confirmed connected Monday, but pinch a unsocial group of circumstances that will lead to nan admittance of 2 caller teams.

The IMG gradings system, which measures clubs successful a assortment of connected and off-field metrics earlier producing a ranking that determines which teams play successful Super League, will find nan apical 12 astatine nan extremity of nan season. But 2 much clubs extracurricular of nan 12 highest clubs successful nan gradings will beryllium selected by an independent sheet that will see members of nan strategical reappraisal committee appointed by Wood. That sheet will deem what they judge to beryllium nan champion 2 applicants to subordinate nan 12 clubs pinch nan highest IMG grading astatine nan extremity of nan season.

It intends clubs including York Knights, Bradford Bulls and London Broncos now person a viable pathway to Super League successful 2026.