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...

So there is a question in this regarding French rugby league and should they be in Super League and before tonight’s match between Toulouse and Catalan there was a Twitter poll and 77% said yes they should be in.

Well allegedly some one from Huddersfield says the French should not be in the comp, well my point is who ever said that needs to take a look at the size of the crowd at the game tonight for their derby game.

My understanding is the the results show the majority have a beef with loop fixtures/Magic Weekend. The 14 team league is fast approaching, Toulouse to stay up and two teams promoted for 2023.

Thar would certainly take the pressure off Wire for next season.

I'm absolutely for France having a place in SL and even expanding the number of clubs in the SL / Champ pyramid, however at some point hey do need to start contributing to the pot, the size of that crowd puts nothing in to the 'British' game financially, other than some additional exposure for sponsors in to a non M62 market. A French TV deal is an absolute must, then that along with the UK TV deal should be distributed amongst all SL teams.

I think 2x tens is also on the table, both have their positives & negatives.

1x14 means the end to loop fixtures, however it makes promotion and relegation difficult as the strength of the Championship is weakened by losing its best 2 clubs - probably Leigh & Featherstone. You would probably have a 1 league franchise comp, with growth outside that, London / Newcastle / Sheffield / York etc difficult. Plus how do you increase the strength of RL in France (Critical I'd say for international game growth & development). Would also need some additional TV money to fund it.

2x10's gives potentially another competition to sell a tv package for maybe package 1 having 2x SL1 games and package 2 having 1x SL1 and 1x SL2 - needs someone willing to buy package 2 though and would need significantly more TV investment than a 14 team comp. Promotion & Relegation is also easier in a 2x10 comp, the big caveat is you'd need a big increase in TV money, so no Package 2 offering meaningful investment, it falls on its backside. Gives the benefit of adding expansion clubs to SL2 when suitable, additional French teams if a French TV deal turns up.

A 14 team league is probably most likely, I'm just not sure what message this sends to the likes of London and York & Newcastle especially who have grown nicely over the past few years and have ambitions of SL.

They build so strong a case that expansion to 16 or 18 is inevitable. Look at the NRL for the way to do it.

In the 1994/95 season there were 16 teams and 30 games.
+ Regal Trophy
+ Challenge Cup

What was wrong with that?

The current Super League teams don`t want to dilute their share of the Sky money, by sharing it with the new teams being introduced to the league.

Yeah they probably want it reduced to 8 teams watched by nobody.

For me, as a dinosaur, I'd like to see

- A format where we play a team home and away in the league.
- The reduction of the number of interchanges both in personnel and frequency and transition the game from a robotic cardiovascular attritional exercise back into a skillfull contact sport. This would have the benefit of reducing squad size.
- Encourage the physical gladiatorial contest in the pack. Crowds like biff and aggression.
- Zero tolerance of feigning injury (cannot believe this is in our game)
- Zero tolerance on artificially slowing the play the ball. It's stifling attacks and making the spectacle boring.
- Strict adherence of 10m on side rule.
- Corner flag as 'in touch' to force more creative play.
- 1 marker defender
- Contested scrums

Nail. On. The. Head.

The only way the game can move forward is to take the league up to 16/18 teams. The only way this will happen is if IMG bring new revenue streams / sponsorship into the game to supplement the Sky money.

I think the above will come from the addition of a 2nd cup tournament, like the Regal trophy being re-introduced, and the introduction of a new format like Rugby 7's or 9's to run side by side the Super League like the 100 does for Cricket. But the controversial part would be running it with Rugby Union consisting probably of about 30 teams (Super League & the Union Premiership teams).

Now I've mentioned the inclusion of a 'hybrid rugby' 7 / 9's comp I'll put on my tin hat and retreat to a bunker. But hopefully the clubs will buy in to what IMG come up with, otherwise the game will continue to shrink and die. But if they do it will be exciting times for rugby league, and rugby in general.

I'd prefer a 14 team league with no relegation, playing each other once home and away, with no loop fixtures. This is what i'd prefer but who knows how it will look. But i do think the NRL have it right for developing players, if you can't be relegated there is no fear to blood youngsters and not have to rely on Aussies. I think it would definately improve English players in the long run and help secure sponsorships etc.
Spread the game in the UK, have London,, featherstone and a club further up north like Newcastle. Not as simple as that i know but with the channel 4 coverage it is starting to expand rugby league already