DEREK BEAUMONT has revealed that a ten-team and 12-team Super League were both rejected in favour of a 14-team competition at this week’s crunch meeting.
Earlier in the week, it was revealed that 12 clubs would be chosen to take part in Super League via the IMG grading system and another two would be chosen by an independent panel chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine.
Now Leigh Leopards owner Beaumont, who has been an outspoken advocate of change and was key to the appointment of Nigel Wood as RFL chairman, has revealed just how that decision was taken.
“The shareholders meeting was held to decide on number one: should Super League be reduced to ten teams?” Beaumont said.
“If number one fails then number two gets looked at. Number two: should Super League remain at 12 teams?
“If that doesn’t get voted in favour of. Should Super League increase to 14? If that gets supported then should it be for 2026 or 2027?
“We all know that the first two weren’t supported but the final two were. For what it’s worth, we support the outcome. I am massively in favour of the outcome.”
So why is Beaumont a fan?
“If you reduce the size of Super League to ten teams, the waterfall of RL Commercial changes. The money that those two teams were getting doesn’t go t the other ten teams, it goes to the Championship waterfall and some stays and some goes.
“Any cuts to the centre is not Super League Europe’s money, it’s all worked on a format.
“Ten teams doesn’t deal with the overriding issue of getting rid of loop fixtures. If you play each other three times, it’s still an unfair competition.
“If you play Wigan twice away and once at home, it’s harder than playing Wigan twice at home and once away. It’s not a fair competition.
“Let’s get as close to home and away as we can and that by the halfway mark we have all played each other.
“The ten-team Super League is getting rid of two clubs. It’s causing disappointment to however many fans, it made no sense.
“12 is where we are at, we’re not happy with it. We need change because the loop fixtures are still there.
“14 teams, it was the obvious answer. It gets rid of the loops, you get home and away and it gives more chances for players to play in Super League and more opportunities for more Sky subscriptions.
“What problems does a 14-team Super League present? We’ve already said we can’t afford to split the pie by 14. We have to ensure we don’t end up with blowout fixtures.
“The most significant part of this is the sustainability of the two clubs coming up.”