LONDON BRONCOS team chief Mike Eccles says staying at the Cherry Red Records Stadium is crucial to a fruitful future for the troubled capital club.
The up-for-sale outfit, whose long-serving owner David Hughes is stepping down amid the loss of Super League status, have reached the three-year break clause of a ten-year agreement to play at the home of AFC Wimbledon.
Chief executive Jason Loubser, who has said the Broncos need to raise £350,000 to be viable back in the Championship next season, is in discussion with the football club, who own the 9,200-capacity ground.
The Broncos, nomadic throughout their 44-year history, previously played at rugby union club Rosslyn Park’s home The Rock.
But director of rugby and performance Eccles, who guided his side to promotion from the second tier in 2023 only for them to lose top-flight status under club grading, says returning there would severely hamper efforts to gain sufficient points to seal a Super League return.
He told a fans’ forum: “When David Hughes stepped back, we had three ways we could have gone.
“First, just use the little bit of money that we have to wrap the club up.
“The next was to drop down and play at Rosslyn Park.
“But the moment we step back (from Wimbledon), I genuinely think as a club we are done. We can’t do that.
“Being at Wimbledon, we can sell the club to investors and say we have this fantastic home and a fantastic core of fans, averaging 3,500 this year.”
Loubser said: “We’ve been in constant communication with (AFC) Wimbledon.
“They very much want us to stay and we very much want to stay. I have met their managing director and we are making plans to be here next season.”
The Broncos are keen to continue their partnership with high-profile beer brand and pub chain BrewDog and are targeting other sponsorship deals.
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