LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has certainly put his money where his mouth is in recent years.
After bankrolling the Leopards to a place in Super League for the 2023 season, Beaumont helped director of rugby Chris Chester and head coach Adrian Lam build a side capable of not just staying in the top flight, but making it big in there.
As such, Leigh now sit joint second in the Super League table with a Challenge Cup Final clash against Hull KR coming up on Saturday.
The success of the Leopards brand must go to Beaumont himself, with the owner the brainchild of the revolutionary rebrand despite attracting a hail of criticism at the time back in October of last year.
Now Beaumont also has a novel idea of how to boost crowds around Super League games: “I brought it up with Super League that we should have a benefit for all season ticket holders where you can get into another Super League club’s game that doesn’t involve your club for half price or something like that to encourage people,” Beaumont told the Last Tackle podcast.
“If we are away in Catalans, for arguments sake, and Salford play Wigan down the road, and you want to watch a game of rugby but you’re not going to France, then you will go and watch it because it’s not too expensive.
“If every club reciprocates on that then it is a genuine offer, but if they don’t then you will get fans saying ‘why are you letting Wigan fans in for cheaper than me, when I’m a Leigh fan?’
“If there is a genuine benefit for being a member of a Super League or a Championship club then I believe it has got good legs.”
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