LEIGH LEOPARDS’ Derek Beaumont has revealed his major regret as the owner of rugby league and Super League club.
Back in September 2018, an EGM was called to discuss the future of the sport. Super League clubs were unhappy with the way the RFL was running the sport and wanted more control over future TV deals and sponsorship money with a subsequent vote going in favour of splitting from the RFL.
Of course, the two re-united under the RL Commercial branch back in March 2022 following the financial hardships produced by the Covid-19 pandemic.
For Beaumont, that decision to vote for the splitting of the two entities was a mistake.
“I think I made a mistake in voting in favour of breaking away from the RFL when we were in Super League knowing we were going to go back into the Championship,” Beaumont told Leopards TV.
“I feel like we felt a bit of wrath off the back of that with a Super League team in the Championship and then not making the play-offs.
“I’m not sure what materialised from that having gone full circle and then voting back to joint ventures as RL Commercial, I’m not sure what we gained during the period when we weren’t together.
“I think it duplicated the centre and duplicated the costs and that’s the biggest thing I would have done differently if I could wind back the clock.”
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