The Super League’s expansion plan is turning out to be a leap of faith too far for a number of its worried clubs. The Rugby Football League (RFL) is asking its members to trust in a vision for a 14-team competition, but without providing the financial evidence to back it up, many are refusing to jump.
The core of the problem is that the RFL is asking for faith, while the clubs are demanding facts. The clubs want to see a detailed business plan, financial modelling, and a clear strategy for how a larger league will be funded, especially when the main broadcaster is not on board. Instead, they claim they have been given verbal assurances and are expected to trust that it will all work out.
This required leap of faith is being rejected because the stakes are too high. For clubs already operating on the financial edge, a leap into the unknown could be fatal. The potential consequences—a reduced TV deal, diluted central funding, and a possible slide into part-time status—are too dire to be risked on blind faith.
The history of financial struggles in the sport, including the current issues at Salford Red Devils, has made clubs more risk-averse. They have seen what happens when ambition outstrips financial reality, and they are unwilling to be part of what they fear could be the next cautionary tale.
The RFL may have secured a vote of confidence in July, but that confidence has since evaporated. The clubs are now stating that faith is not enough. They are demanding a plan built on solid ground, not a leap into the void. Until the RFL can provide that, its expansion plans will remain grounded.