RUGBY league agent, Craig Harrison of Show Me The Money UK, has implored IMG to do more ahead of the 2023 Super League season.
It follows in the wake of the Rugby League World Cup and the ongoing FIFA World Cup as well as the increase in cost of living and Harrison believes that rugby league’s new major stakeholder has to sell the 2023 season to fans in a way that has perhaps never been done before.
“I hope IMG are asking all the clubs from all the divisions how season ticket sales are going, how corporate sales are going and how sponsorship deals are going,” Harrison said on the Show Me The Money UK TV podcast.
“I’m hearing that information post-World Cup is tough, and the football World Cup makes it even tougher to plan something after that.
“We’ve got the worst cost of living crisis, we’ve got Christmas coming up and I hope they are getting that information from clubs because if it was me – and I hope it would be sensible to email the clubs every month or so – and if those figures are low, which we know they are down, then IMG need to get something out to make it exciting.
“This game cannot afford to take a year out. We’ve never seen such a lack of demand for players.”
IMG’s aim from the get go has been to ‘re-imagine’ rugby league with a 12-year deal evidence of their commitment to the sport, however, it remains to be seen if the company does have any tricks up their sleeve when it comes to selling the 2023 Super League, Championship and League One seasons amidst such difficult times.
