GRANT Wechsel believes rugby league can uncover a goldmine if London Broncos are brought into Super League.
The 12 clubs that will form next year’s top flight under strategic partner IMG’s grading scheme will be announced today.
A decision over whether to expand it to 14 will follow on Friday and Australian mining millionaire Wechsel, who bought 90 per cent of the Wimbledon-based Broncos with 13-a-side icon Darren Lockyer, believes elevating them will bring huge benefits.
He told SunSport: “We believe, like many others, that the Super League needs London.
“If you don’t have strong representation in the world’s global financial capital, the nation’s capital and the most populous city and region in the UK, can the league genuinely claim to be a truly national Super League, and is it maximising all available opportunities?
“Also, Londoners need rugby league – it is the most exciting sport product in the world, why deprive them of that?!
“We will be targeting the 150,000 plus Aussies and Kiwis who reside within a short distance from our home stadium.
“We will be building out our community programme to get grassroots communities excited about the game.
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“Rugby league is one of the most exciting sports in the world. Getting newcomers through the turnstiles to interact with the sport is crucial to converting Londoners from casual observers to fans.
“There is no shortage of talent in London and southern England, but that talent is getting funnelled to rival codes and clubs.
“Re-establishing a top-tier rugby league club in London will provide a clearer pathway for this talent to pursue rugby league in the nation’s capital.
“It has been proven that where there is strong national-level representation and strong pathways systems, talent will follow.“
If London do not make the top 12, they have applied to be team 13 or 14 for next season, which are being decided by an independent panel.
That will judge bids on IMG’s criteria, plus extra scrutiny regarding financial sustainability – detailed forecasts for 2026, 2027 and 2028.
Wechel added: “Our bid outlines a comprehensive operational plan, where we are supremely confident that we can deliver over and above league performance and grading metrics.
“We want to set a new standard in the competition, both on and off the field.
“A ‘stick and carrot’ approach, which holds club owners to account, is not necessarily a bad thing.
“But we believe that the evaluation for expansion licenses should be different to how clubs are graded.
“In any expansion program, growth is key. Several factors should be considered, including the growth of community rugby league, the development of elite player talent, viewership, attendance and international and commercial investment in the game.
“We believe that, in this regard, London and our bid offer the strongest proposition to the league compared to expanding the competition in established rugby league markets, where the gains from expansion will be marginal.”
Clubs are also believed to have met yesterday to discuss selling a stake of Super League, which will bring in tens of millions of pounds, to a private equity group.
SunSport understands an American group leads the running but it is not LionCap Global – and is not likely to ever be.
For it can be revealed that group is closely linked to the disastrous takeover at Salford by Sire Kailahi and Curtiz Brown.
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Parties from Saudi Arabia and the UAE also remain interested but sources say a Stateside-based group is most likely at the moment.
Talks are set to take place over terms – how much of a stake and what they will control – over the coming weeks.
