One of Super League’s longest-serving chief executives has warned that rugby league risks reverting to a part-time sport if there major and systemic changes are not made to the game away from the field. The Wakefield Trinity CEO, Michael Carter, will step down from his role at the club by the end of this season after 10 years in charge at Belle Vue.
However, he has warned the sport is in a “big hole”, and has urged everyone to throw their support behind IMG’s plans to attempt to transform the sport or risk catastrophic consequences. The global media company signed a 12-year deal with the Rugby Football League last year and has proposed widespread changes to the way the game is run, including replacing conventional promotion and relegation with a grading system that will effectively place the 12 best-performing clubs on and off the field in Super League from 2025.
