LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has claimed that he was “uninformed” about IMG’s contractual situation with the RFL before voting in favour of IMG’s plans to “re-imagine” the sport.
IMG signed a 12-year deal with rugby league back in May 2022 on the basis of transforming the sport from its lowly Sky deal into one of the sporting powerhouses.
However, since then, little has been said in the public eye from IMG except their revelation of the five pillars that each of the 36 professional clubs will be graded on at the end of the 2024 season.
Clubs are, as such, running out of patience with Leigh owner Derek Beaumont now explaining how he was not told that the RL Commercial’s contract with IMG would be a financial one after initially being told the marketing giants would come in for free.
“I supported IMG’s proposals with reservations. I think the sport needed to fully get behind something,” Beaumont said on the League Express podcast.
“I was a little bit uninformed, not even misinformed, that the relationship was a actually a contractual, financial one. I voted on something I believed at the time.
“We needed to do something, we had no money to do anything and we couldn’t recruit a wealth of experience and talent that is part of IMG and Endeavour.
“As I understood it, those people saw our sport as a chance to grow and increase and they wanted to do that for zero on the basis that they would profit a percentage share in the future.
“It’s kind of putting your money and resources where your mouth is and believing in what you are getting involved in.
“There is then a difference between that and basically signing a five million pound deal that lets them do whatever they want over ten years.
“We are basically a client of theirs, that’s how I see it and I’ve openly said it before.
“That then changes someone’s relationship is and when I look each month at a release that details what’s going on, I’m not interested in that.
“I know what you’ve taken out of my business in what I’m paying you, but what have you put into the business. We are measured by results.
“At the minute, we have a controversial system whereby clubs have put the cue on the rack and don’t feel any threat.”
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