THERE we have it. The IMG scores are out and the 12 teams competing in Super League 2025 are confirmed.
There were few surprises, with the whole situation largely predictable – London out, Wakefield in, Hull FC down to Grade B.
Many clubs saw a drop from the provisional score they were given last year, but some like Wakefield – who gained over 2.5 points to claim a coveted Grade A licence – Castleford, London and Leigh improved their score.
I won’t bore you here with any more of the finer details as it’s been almost a month since the scores were revealed, but print deadlines here at RLW Towers didn’t allow for us to mention them in the last issue. But many other publications and websites, including our sister title – the weekly Rugby League Express newspaper – have pored over the ins and outs of this since then.
2025 is the first season the game will face under IMG’s Grading system, but are we already starting to see cracks appear?
Just over a year ago, on this very page, I bemoaned the fact that clubs do not get any credit for producing their own players, as nowhere in IMG’s points structure is there any mention of Academy or Scholarship structures, or in fact any junior development in any form.
But another area that is not covered in IMG’s criteria is the women’s game – one of the fastest growing facets of rugby league.
After York Valkyrie won this year’s Women’s Super League Grand Final, becoming the first side to retain that title, their chairman Clint Goodchild told Sky Sports: “It’s been an interesting year with IMG coming in and there are lots of things happening.
“But when you look at the crowd we had today, and what it means to the community, the fact that isn’t a part of the grading measurement, but the size of a press box is and the size of an LED pixel is part of a big formula.
“The women’s game isn’t a part of any measurement for the growth or vision of the sport and I really hope that is something that is taken into account this off season and hopefully realise that there is value in it.”
He really does have a point. Crowds are always on the up for women’s games, the players are always approachable, they are marketable – all attributes that help with fandom.
I know from speaking to many female players over the years that there is a one club mentality across most of the Women’s Super League – those teams are just one part of of the wider club ethos – so why is the work that those clubs do for the women’s game ignored in this context?
I understand the RFL’s stance that they don’t want a women’s team, or lack of, to impact a club’s IMG score to avoid clubs starting one up simply to earn points. The mitigation for this being that it could have a knock on effect on the community clubs in the area in many different ways. They have also never wanted to force clubs to launch a women’s team as some simply are not in a position to do so. For them it has been a case of providing clubs with an opportunity to get involved in the women’s game when the time is right for them.
So to keep a level playing field across all clubs it probably does make sense not to include this area in its criteria, but I fear we may be starting to see the negative effects of this.
Warrington Wolves coach Armani Sharrock has already left, stating that the club’s vision does not match hers for the side as she aimed to make them more competitive in Super League.
If running a successful women’s team is not going to have any bearing on a club’s ultimate success in the eyes of IMG, what’s to stop them pulling the plug completely and using the resources saved there to earn extra points elsewhere?
Surely a middle ground can be found; encourage more teams to set up women’s and girl’s sections, but on the proviso that they will only get the IMG points if certain criteria are met – matches fulfilled, work done in the community to increase the player pool, that sort of thing.
At the end of the day for the women’s game to keep growing we need a constant influx of new players and new opportunities. Having more clubs in action, and more places for potential future stars to play, will surely only aid this.
Yes it will take a while to see the full benefits, but maybe this is one occasion that the clubs, Super League, the RFL and IMG need to face some short-term pain for long-term gain.
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 503 (December 2024)
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