A powerful call to “press the pause button” on Super League’s expansion is gaining momentum, as concerned clubs mount an 11th-hour challenge to the plan. The proposal to grow the league to 14 teams, which was voted through in July, is now at risk, with several teams demanding a delay until at least 2027 to allow for a more thorough assessment of its long-term financial viability.
The rebellion is not necessarily against the idea of a 14-team league in principle, but rather against the “rushed” and opaque manner in which it is being implemented. One club source stated, “it has to be done properly,” highlighting a widespread belief that the current process is far from robust. The clubs’ primary grievance is the failure of the Rugby Football League (RFL) to provide any substantial financial modelling to prove the expansion is sustainable.
This demand for a pause is underscored by the precarious financial state of the league. Most clubs are already losing money, and the league’s main broadcaster, Sky Sports, has reportedly made its disapproval of the expansion known. With no extra television money on the table to support two additional clubs, the existing teams fear their central funding will be diluted, pushing them closer to the financial brink. The potential for the Sky deal to decrease after next season adds a further layer of urgency to these concerns.
The rapid timeline has been cited as a key reason for the call to halt proceedings. The entire process, from the vote to the announcement of new clubs on October 16th, is being condensed into a few short months. This has led to worries that the independent panel reviewing applications simply does not have enough time to do its job effectively, creating risks for the entire competition. The situation with the financially troubled Salford Red Devils further complicates the picture, as the league could be looking to admit up to three new teams.
While the RFL insists the process has been thorough and the vote decisive, the behind-the-scenes lobbying and scheduled crisis talks suggest otherwise. The “pause button” movement represents a critical juncture for rugby league, pitting the governing body’s ambitious vision against the clubs’ pragmatic pleas for caution and financial prudence.