RFL Chairman Simon Johnson believes that the news last week that the Duchess of Cambridge will become the new Patron of the Rugby Football League is the latest in a series of news stories that indicate that the game is going into the new season in a strongly positive collective mood.
The news came out via social media with the Duchess taking part in a video that purported to show her passing and catching a rugby ball with three Rugby League players from different sections of the game and three players from Rugby Union.
“It was a really good way to make an announcement,” said the RFL Chairman.
“I have to fully credit the Kensington Palace team. They had Harry Newman, Jodie Cunningham and James Simpson all looking resplendent in their England kits.
“Both sports got to showcase what they are about and it was interesting to see that the Duchess had such good ball control.”
The precise interaction of the Duchess with Rugby League will be established in due course.
“That all needs to be worked out,” added Johnson.
“The Duke and Duchess have picked up many more patronages, with Prince Harry stepping aside.
“So we will be talking with Kensington Palace about the best way HRH and Rugby League can benefit from what will be doing.
“I suspect the World Cup will provide very good hook. We bring communities together, and I know that she is interested in sport being used to promote mental wellbeing and health. She is interested in showing how sport can contribute to the public good.
“We’ll look forward to discussing those things with her people but we haven’t yet completed those conversations. It gives everyone a lift and a boost.”
Meanwhile the discussions between the RFL and Super League about realigning the two parts of the game are nearing their conclusion, although Johnson is reluctant to commit to a definite date when they will be concluded.
“We are making very good progress. But it is taking some time because we don’t want to have to do this again.
“We’re looking for a comprehensive arrangement that we hope will endure.
“The reason this is taking so long is that there is so much detail that sits behind it. To make it happen the new structure needs to be effective in a way that encourages money to flow into the game.
“We need to document it and put it in place.
“The benefits of this sort of arrangement will be to make the sport more efficient, to enable us to grow, to make the sport more commercial and to create a structure that might enable us to bring in a major partner.
“And we are very clear that we want to benefit the whole of the game and we want to get the whole of the game to support what we are doing.
“In short, we want to get it right and have a structure that works.”
And Johnson is convinced that Rugby League will strongly benefit this year from more television exposure.
“There are always grounds to be optimistic about Rugby League and I am very optimistic. More people are going to be able to see more Rugby League than ever before.
“It gives us the opportunity to be in a shop window for more people to see how great our sport is.
“We want to use this to support good, sustainable growth, driven by the success of the Super League that benefits everyone else throughout the game.”
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