Rugby League will soon have a strategic partner signed up and on board to take the game forward for the next ten years, with the partner likely to be the IMG Group after the recent agreement among the clubs to realign Super League and the RFL.
And Super League interim Chairman Ken Davy (pictured) admits that Rugby League would be foolish to appoint such a partner and then not implement whatever recommendations it is likely to make, while he accepts that the game needs to define what the precise role of such a partner should be.
“The question is an important one,” says Davy, who met members of the media last week.
“What the whole game has voted for is a realignment that enables us all to work together for the common good with every part of the game benefiting financially.
“Part of the realignment is the appointment of a strategic partner and I would imagine the first thing they will do is detailed research on the game itself and how it functions and it’s pointless us trying to second-guess what the outcome of that will be. But obviously you start by looking at what we’ve got.
“The mood of the game is to look very positively at what changes are recommended. There might be some red lines for some clubs, the RFL or Super League, but right now none of us are looking down that road. Let’s have people with real experience to set a foundation and framework that will stand the test of time. That will require detailed research.
“I have no doubt that any strategic partner will want to talk to every club in the game individually. They will obviously look at relevant stats, including attendances. The level of research is going to be in depth on the state of the game as it is now. We are very confident that the product we have is one that has real appeal to the public, but not enough of the public are exposed to it, which is one of the reasons why we are so excited about the free-to-air coverage we have this season, whose objective is to broaden the market. But we do need to find out what we need to change.”
And Davy accepts that private equity could be a long-term feature of the game, but not immediately.
“Nothing is off the table. But our key objective is to get the foundation of the game right rather than looking for a private equity partner.
“The potential to strengthen the game still further is highly significant. And when we have done that work with the right strategic partner, that then might be the time, when we have done that work, to involve private equity. We don’t want to take in private equity before we are ready for it.”
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