Super League To Expand To 14 Teams From 2026

Super League's 12 existent clubs person voted to grow nan title to 14 teams from adjacent season.

In a statement, nan convention said nan description would return spot by combining nan nine grading strategy pinch an independent panel.

The sheet is to beryllium chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine, who was precocious elected to nan RFL's board, arsenic good arsenic nan strategical reappraisal sub-committee.

The apical 12 clubs nether nan grading strategy astatine nan extremity of 2025 will beryllium joined by 2 clubs recommended by nan sheet "provided location are 2 applications of capable merit against nan group criteria".

It will beryllium nan first clip since 2014 that nan convention will person operated pinch 14 teams, having dipped down to 12 for nan 2015 campaign.

The determination to grow was made, external pursuing a gathering of personnel clubs astatine Headingley connected Monday.

Clubs person been graded nether media elephantine IMG and Rugby League Commercial's 'Reimagining Rugby League' inaugural successful nan past 2 seasons, but only 2025's convention building has been decided by its criteria, which saw London replaced by Wakefield successful nan apical formation for this term.

Under nan system, Super League, Championship and League One clubs are assessed based connected points calculated by connected and off-field capacity successful bid to determine who will dress up nan apical flight, alternatively than promotion and relegation betwixt nan divisions.

After nan reduction to 12 teams 10 years ago, Super League has operated a loop fixture system, wherever teams capable nan spread successful fixtures by playing further matches against 4 teams.

Those fixtures are presently decided based connected convention placings from nan erstwhile season.

Since 2015, nan convention has operated a number of structures, including a late-season divided building during which clubs would play 23 games and past beryllium divided into 3 pools of eight, involving nan 24 teams making up Super League and nan Championship.

The apical 'Super 8s' group played 7 further games, pinch nan apical 4 astatine that shape progressing to title places successful nan Super League Grand Final.

However, that format was ended earlier nan 2019 run which saw each top-flight squad play a full of 29 regular play fixtures, including six further loop games.

In 2022, aft 2 Covid-affected seasons, that was reduced to nan 27-game format presently successful use.