Fans of the sport have backed the new structure introduced into Rugby League this year – but have voted overwhelmingly against the Thursday night timeslot used for Super League games.
In the online survey conducted by Undertheposts.com, 36 per cent of 644 respondents were in favour of the split into three divisions, while less than 10 per cent expressed their disapproval and 31 per cent were undecided.
However, 60 per cent of respondents branded the decision to persevere with Thursday night televised Super League fixtures awful or poor, with just 14 per cent in favour.
Mark Fullilove, of Undertheposts.com, said: “The research shows a categorical ‘thumbs down’ in terms of Thursday fixtures.
“Sky Sports pump a lot of money into the sport and will want to do what is best for them as a major broadcaster in terms of viewing figures, which is understandable.
“As a family game, we naturally want to try and maximise attendances in the stands, promoting the sport to young people as well as adults. This also needs to work with increasing viewing figures too and hopefully the RFL and broadcasters can explore how they can accommodate an amicable solution for all parties moving forward.”
