Super League: Wigan among seven clubs awarded Grade A status in restructure
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Wigan Warriors clinched their sixth Super League title by beating Catalans Dragons 10-2 in the 2023 Grand Final earlier this month
Reigning champions Wigan Warriors are among seven clubs awarded an initial Grade A status as part of a restructure of Super League in 2025.
Warriors, Leeds, St Helens, Catalans, Warrington, Hull FC and Hull KR have been given top grading in media giant IMG and Rugby League Commercial's 'Reimagining Rugby League' initiative.
Teams are awarded points for on and off-field performance.
The top 12 sides at the end of 2024 will make up Super League in 2025.
London Broncos, promoted to the top flight on 15 October, are 24th in the new gradings and likely to spend only one season in Super League before the change comes in.
The Rugby Football League said the change aimed to "incentivise clubs to grow their fanbase and top-line non-centralised revenue, to better engage with fans, to be run in a best-in-class way, to invest in their club and the sport in a sustainable way, and to ensure strong governance".
The proposal received the 86% endorsement it needed from clubs across the Super League, Championship and League One in April.
Clubs are awarded points - and a grade - based on five categories: Fandom, Performance, Finances, Stadium and Community, with a maximum of 20 points on offer.
Fandom [5 points]: Taking in attendances, memberships and digital engagement with fans
Performance [5 pts]: Teams rated 1-36 in terms of league position over three seasons, with bonuses for league/cup wins
Finances [4.5 pts]: Income, financial stability, diversity of revenue streams and business performance
Stadium [3 pts]: Quality of facility, match-day experience, capacity, utilisation
Community [1 pt for foundation, 1.5pts for catchment area]: Success of foundations as charitable arms, and how much competition for supporters in local area.
To reach Grade A status, clubs must score at least 15 points with 7.5 points receiving a B grading.
The top 12 (as it stands)
At the end of next season, the top 12 clubs in the rankings - including all Grade A sides and the best Grade B clubs - will form the top flight from 2025.
Leeds currently head the table with 17.49 points ahead of Wigan, St Helens and Catalans, who are all separated by only 0.14 of a point.
Warrington Wolves come next in fifth on 15.75, followed by Hull KR on 15.52 and city rivals Hull FC just above the grade A threshold on 15.05 points.
Super League sides Salford, Huddersfield, and Leigh have been given a B grade and make up the top 12 along with Toulouse - the highest-performing club outside the top flight - in 10th place and Wakefield Trinity, relegated from Super League in 2023.
Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League Tony Sutton said the current results are "heartening", adding the grading of clubs was a "highly significant step".
"Congratulations are due to the A Grade clubs," Sutton said.
"I know they will not be resting on their laurels as the key to the grading process is that it is dynamic and requires clubs to maintain standards.
"All clubs also deserve recognition for the positive way in which they have engaged in this process, all with the aim of raising the standards of Rugby League - and of reimagining the sport."
Who is outside looking in?
Of the clubs vying to get into the top 12, Castleford are closest in 13th but are unhappy with their position, saying they have been docked half a point erroneously for submitting some incorrect financial data.
That penalty saw the Tigers given a score of 12.16, only 0.29 points adrift of Leigh in 12th.
"At 7pm yesterday evening, I received a phone call from Tony Sutton, CEO of the RFL to inform me that the RFL had made a mistake on one of the data lines in finance," Castleford managing director Mark Grattan said in a statement., external
"This meant they were taking half a point off us which moved us down to 13th.
"At that point, we realised that the finance score was incorrect. Within an hour we spotted a missing data line that we had not submitted.
"I sent all of the supporting evidence to the RFL expecting our error to be amended as the RFL's error was and we believe other clubs' scores were amended.
"We were then informed later yesterday evening that due to the lateness of the information the grades would be published with the RFL's amendment, but without ours."
Grattan added he was "extremely disappointed" with the RFL's decision.
The RFL said they will "review and consider" Castleford's case "particularly given the tight scoring margins around the 12th position in the rankings".
Where does the new system leave the Broncos?
London Broncos may well be viewing their hopes of establishing themselves in Super League with some trepidation under the new grading plan.
After winning promotion to the top flight for 2024 by beating Toulouse in the Championship Grand Final 10 days ago, Broncos are sure of their place at the top table for next term.
However, with a current score of 8.07 points and a Grade B, they are down in 24th place, more than four points off the top 12 and far from certain to be part of Super League in 2025.