LEIGH LEOPARDS owner Derek Beaumont has revealed a key flaw within IMG’s proposals to ‘reimagine’ rugby league after writing off funds as sponsorship and then making an additional £1-plus sponsorship investment.
The Leopards were amongst the biggest risers amongst all 35 professional clubs, going from 12.45 to 15.13 and in doing so earning Grade A status.
However, Beaumont has long been outspoken about the current IMG system and even though his Leigh club placed seventh in the rankings, he has outlined just why he is opposed to the system, outlining a key financial flaw.
“So why am I against or raising issues with a system that guarantees me a Super League place, ranked 7th with a year of Championship stats attached that next year will fall away and mean we can increase our score in at least three areas?” Beaumont said.
“Simple really. If you look at our transparent, published, individually broken-down pillars of our score, something I think all clubs should have to do, and how the information should be presented to gather increased trust in it from all clubs and the stakeholders in the game, its fans, then you will see our dramatic rise is down to an increase of 2.5 points on finance.
“If we remove that shift, we would be on 12.63 and placed 14th. This is, in my opinion, completely wrong and exposes a system that just isn’t right. Call me biased or looking through rose-tinted glasses but had I not been privileged enough to not only write off funds as sponsorship and make a further significant seven figure sponsorship investment then we would not have been able to remain in Super League.
“I don’t think that would give Super League its best representation, losing a club that got promoted off the back of a treble in 2022, then finished fifth in the play-offs in 2023, producing five members of the Dream Team and winning the Challenge Cup. Then in 2024, rising to making the semi-final in front of record crowds in a modern, quality facility with a great atmosphere and entertainment, providing a great experience for home and away fans and a good outlook to the broadcaster.
“How sad would today be for our club and the game that all the hard work and success of the rebrand would be cast away into the Championship and potentially leave an investor in the game fed up with trying and facing goals, giving up on the sport, leaving the game, something we have seen at London Broncos. In London the sad loss of David Hughes to the game hasn’t been correctly acknowledged in my opinion, given his commitment and significant investment over decades.
“That’s the harsh reality that some clubs are stuck with not having a benefactor. It shouldn’t be about who has a benefactor of course; that will always have its benefits, but it shouldn’t be what determines us as a Super League club. That should be our performance, yet of our 15.13 points only 3.2 points count on Performance after the three successful years referred to, yet Finance counts for 3.8 points and Fandom 4.2 points.”
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