The National Rugby League (NRL) is prepared to invest around £50m into Super League over the next five years as part of a historic partnership that has now gained the support of the majority of the European competition’s clubs.
The Australasian competition, Rugby Football League (RFL) and Rugby League Commercial officials, along with the owners of the 14 Super League clubs, held a series of online meetings last week, making positive progress after 18 months of negotiation and speculation.
The i Paper understands that the NRL has increased the monetary value of its offer and is willing to reduce the equity stake it requires, in a move that has won over 12 of the 14 clubs.
According to sources, Leeds Rhinos and Bradford Bulls are the only two Super League clubs currently left in opposition, but they are also expected to eventually fall into line.
“All of the clubs are in support of an NRL deal now,” one involved source told The i Paper. “They all want it to happen.”
It is believed the NRL will invest £10m a year for five years, with around £6m to £7m of it going straight to the Super League clubs, to help alleviate financial losses they are suffering each year.
Around £2m would go to the clubs in the Championship, with their central funding previously coming from Super League’s television broadcasting deal, with the remaining money spent on marketing and advertising Super League, as well as the production costs for matches to be shown on DAZN.
Under the NRL’s plan, in 2027 three games each week will be broadcast by Sky Sports with the remaining four games each round on DAZN. The NRL’s investment would cover the production costs and representation of Super League on DAZN.
As part of the existing broadcast deal, Sky shows all seven Super League games live each week.
Sky Sports will soon divide Super League coverage with DAZN (Photo: Getty)The i Paper understands that the NRL and Super League are talking daily and are still thrashing out the exact details of what control the Australasian league will have over the European competition, and the parameters of that control. The NRL has also allayed any fears about a return to a winter season.
“There’s still a long way to go, but it’s moving forward,” one individual involved in the negotiations told The i Paper. “The equity issue, that’s still yet to be decided.”
It is believed that the NRL has guaranteed all of the current 14 clubs will remain in Super League next year, as part of the partnership, but the future of London Broncos has yet to be determined.
London are top of the Championship and are pushing to be readmitted to the top flight in 2027.
Some Super League clubs are supportive of allowing the Broncos in and expanding to 15 teams, while others are not.
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“The NRL would like London in,” a source said. “They’ll push the clubs as far as they can to see how little they’d have to contribute for London to come in.”
Four NRL clubs are also prepared to buy stakes in different Super League teams once a partnership with the NRL is signed off.
Former Gateshead Thunder and Hull CEO Shane Richardson, who has also been chief executive of several NRL clubs, is currently in the UK on a fact-finding mission representing those four Australasian clubs. Richardson is visiting Super League sides in England and France to speak with officials about potential investment.
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