Rugby League | Super League will soon have 14 teams
News | Super League votes to expand to 14 clubs from 2026 season
Super League will return to a 14-team competition after its current 12 clubs voted in favour of expansion from next season.
Author | Liam C
The change will be overseen through a combination of the existing club grading system and a newly formed independent panel, chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine. Caine was recently appointed to the RFL board and will also lead its strategic review sub-committee.
The league confirmed that the top 12 sides under the grading criteria at the end of the 2025 campaign will be joined by two clubs recommended by the panel, provided their applications meet the required standards.
It marks the first time since 2014 that the top flight will feature 14 teams, having reverted to 12 in 2015.
Constant evolution or too much tinkering?
Since the reduction, Super League has filled its fixture calendar through a loop system, with clubs playing additional games against selected opponents based on the previous year’s standings.
READ MORE | Latest Rugby League news and stories from across the network
A variety of formats have come and gone in that time, most notably the ‘Super 8s’ model, which split clubs into three pools for the final rounds of the season. That system ended in 2019, when a 29-match format was introduced.
In 2022, the league adopted the current 27-game schedule.
Who didn't vote in favour of the expansion?
Curremt Super League leaders Hull KR, the defending champions Wigan Warriors and Hull FC were the three clubs who did not vote to expand the competition. The other nine sides voted in favour.
Hull’s stance was unequivocal. The Black and Whites have consistently argued in favour of a smaller Super League, believing the competition should contract rather than hold steady at 12 teams. On this occasion, they made their position clear once again, opposing any move towards expansion in the current climate
Comments
Post a Comment