WIGAN owner Ian Lenagan says that too often Rugby League self-criticises and sabotages itself, but he believes the sport is in a great place.
This month Lenagan is relinquishing his role as majority owner and chairman of Wigan, selling the club to billionaire Mike Danson, the founder of GlobalData PLC and its current chief executive.
In 2022, GlobalData had revenues of £243.2 million and reported a statutory profit before tax of £38.4 million.
Lenagan, 77, will leave the game after being a major powerbroker in British Rugby League for nearly 20 years. He is also a former part-owner of London Broncos.
He believes the future is bright for the sport, with attendances having grown this season, despite a declining television broadcast contract, and he feels that IMG, which has signed a twelve-year partnership with the RFL, needs time to make changes.
“I think we are our own worst enemy,” Lenagan said.
“We criticise Rugby League and we complain about it, but I think we’re in a great place.
“We’ve got a financial problem currently that the amount of money that is coming into the top end of the sport from broadcasting is not what it should be. But I think we will get back to where we need to be.
“Look at what’s happened this year, taking Wigan as an example. Even Leeds, who have had a bad year, are still getting 14,000 spectators. That’s not bad for a club that isn’t even getting in the top six.
“So I think there’s a lot of good about Rugby League and the best thing is what a competitive season this year has been, in terms of three teams jointly top of Super League, in terms of quality of new clubs like Hull KR and Salford that are still continuing.
“Hull KR are exactly the right type of strategy being developed. You can see it under Neil Hudgell and his group of people. I’ve got great confidence that more of that will come along.
“Leigh are doing very well with Derek Beaumont. As long as we’ve got that drive forward, everybody will do well.
“You don’t change a game immediately. What IMG are doing is putting together a twelve-year plan, not a two-year plan.
“We tendered (the TV deal) six months ago, so there’s been little chance to have an impact of where we are.
“The judgement call will be in three years’ time. And if Rugby League carries on going forward as it has this year, I think we’ll be in a great place.”
Lenagan has lived and worked in London, and part-owned the Broncos between 2005 and 2007.
He believes the capital, alongside the French market, is crucial to the future growth of Rugby League.
“It’s great to see London Broncos and Toulouse, who I believe to be the future of Rugby League under the IMG banner, with somebody in the capital and somebody in the third biggest city in France, that’s got to be a good way going forward,” he said.
“I got involved with London Broncos because I was a fan. It was nice to be able to invest your money in the sport that you love.
“So I could never have bought a competitive club to Wigan, and London was far enough away and not at all a competitor that I enjoyed two-and-a-half years with David Hughes.
“I was two-thirds shareholder and he was one-third and we did very well with London in that period. We got into the play-offs and enjoyed a variety of other success.
“But once Wigan came along, once Dave Whelan decided he wanted to move on, you can’t not take on Wigan if you’re involved in Rugby League. And I was delighted to buy Wigan and get involved.
“And I used my experience at the Broncos to kick it on another level. I brought a lot of the culture of London Broncos and their great fans back into Wigan. You can’t miss the opportunity of Wigan Rugby League club if you’re a Wiganer.”
IMG have publicly stated the importance of France and London for the future of Rugby League.
“The fact that IMG and RL Commercial clearly share that view is a delight to me going forward because I still spend a lot of time in London,” he said.
“I live in London… There’s a great opportunity in London for Rugby League, there’s a great opportunity in France for Rugby League – of that I have no doubt at all.
“So I’m pleased with where that’s going. Catalans now have more than 10,000 supporters at home games and a feeling in the ground that is fantastic.
“I think Bernard Guasch has done a superb job there, as well as Steve McNamara, and I’d like to see Toulouse follow them.”
Danson, a serial entrepreneur, media proprietor, philanthropist and data guru who is reported to have a net worth of around £1.17 billion, was born in Wigan in 1962 and has followed Lenagan’s footsteps by taking over his hometown club.
And Lenagan believes the Warriors will be in safe hands: “Mike’s a great leader for the future.
“I’ll carry on as a fan, because you never stop being a fan if you’re a Wiganer and I’m a native Wiganer anyway, so I shall carry on coming to games. But I’m really pleased with the state of the club I’m handing over.
“That’s what you’re judged by – it’s not what you’ve achieved. Mike has been a 25 percent shareholder for the last three years, he’s been a 49 percent shareholder for the last 18 months, so it’s a proper business transition and it’s worked very well.
“Mike’s a very nice man indeed. He’s got lots of integrity and lots of business skills.
“He believes in the community, he believes in education, he believes in the Academy. He and I have many similarities.
“I’m not saying he’s an image of me, I’m more of an image of him, albeit I’m older than him. But we’re very similar types of people and I think he will go superbly at Wigan.”
