RUGBY LEAGUE COMMERCIAL Chairman Frank Slevin says the sport has under-delivered in terms of its potential and reach and must do more to transform its prospects.
And that could include changing the name of Super League, as has been suggested in some quarters recently, although Slevin is non-committal on whether that could happen.
Instead he claims that there is no guarantee that the competition will change its name, with the RFL waiting to see what its partner IMG’s recommendations are.
“I don’t particularly understand the fuss about it,” Slevin told League Express
“We’re going through a branding exercise, which may or may not lead to a branding change. We don’t know. It’s up to IMG to make recommendations to us.
“If the recommendation is, actually Super League’s absolutely fine, carry on. Then good!
“But it’s now being used by several other organisations, so it’s not the wonderful unique branding it might have been at some point in the past. So why not ask the question whether it is fit for purpose going forward? And if it isn’t, it isn’t. I certainly think there are no sacred cows. I’m not fixated by it, that this is a keeper. We should just do what’s right for the sport.
“IMG has a proven track record around the world of developing sporting assets but in a way that’s sustainable. That ultimately is the key. What do we want to get to? We want to get to a healthy, sustainable sport that is vital, is thriving and that will grow and develop.
“And it may not always be in leaps and bounds, there will be periods of consolidation and we’ll rebuild again, but it’s moving in that solid, sustainable base.”
Slevin is confident that under his tenure Rugby League’s financial prospects can improve.
“I know people are talking about the finances of the sport and it’s not unique to Rugby League that individual owners might step in and financially support a club. That’s as relevant in football as it is in any sport,” said Slevin.
“I think people get a little too fixated by these things. Of course we’re here to assist clubs in building that revenue base, but also in control of that cost base. How do we create synergy across, in terms of supporting clubs delivering their own sustainability, from a financial perspective?
“In terms of what we want to do, if anything I would say is it unrealistic to think we’re going to be able to bridge the funding gap entirely, because the sport will require future investment and that investment has to come from somewhere.
“We’d certainly like to think that owners will continue to invest in the clubs and the infrastructure, as much as in the game. But we need to make sure that we’re helping them in terms of delivering profitability in the longer term.
“That’s an aspiration shared by us and the owners.”
This article comes from this week’s issue of League Express. You can take out a subscription by going to https://www.totalrl.com/league-express/