Super League expanding to 14 teams as early as 2026 appears to be looming after the publication of IMG’s gradings on Wednesday led to Wakefield being readmitted into the competition for 2025 in place of London Broncos, who have been demoted to the Championship.
Rugby league clubs agreed last year to replace conventional promotion and relegation with a gradings system that measured clubs in a variety of on- and off-field metrics. The 12 clubs with the highest ranking would be admitted to Super League, with the gradings reviewed every year.
However, the initial rollout of the system has already created several talking points. Chief among them is the return of Wakefield, who are back in Super League after a season away by securing the necessary grading points. The Broncos drop back into the Championship, the only change to the 2024 lineup.
“It’s a great achievement by everybody at the club,” Wakefield’s owner, Matt Ellis, said. “We’ve bounced back and the score we’ve received is the icing on the cake.”
Three-quarters of the competition, including Trinity, have secured the highest ranking of Grade A after they scored more than 15 points out of the maximum 20. St Helens were ranked first with 17.02, just ahead of the Super League champions, Wigan.
The Rugby Football League and IMG said previously that expansion would be considered only when all 12 Super League sides achieved Grade A status. But Rhodri Jones, chief executive of Rugby League Commercial, said talks related to expansion will have to be brought forward.
St Helens (17.02), Wigan Warriors (16.91), Leeds Rhinos (16.84), Warrington Wolves (16.27), Hull KR (15.97), Catalans Dragons (15.52), Wakefield Trinity (15.09), Castleford Tigers (15.02) Hull FC (14.51), Huddersfield Giants (14.48), Salford Red Devils (13.97).
Jones said: “Based on there being nine Grade As that conversation starts sooner than expected.
“There is a chance we could have 12 Grade As next year and that will definitely quicken that conversation in a what‑if scenario, because it could be 2026.
“There’s a broader conversation to be had around the 14 teams. It’s not a new conversation but we always said once we get to 12 Grade As we will review the structure in the top division.”
Any expansion to 14 would put four teams in contention: Toulouse, London, York and Bradford are the next highest-ranked teams outside Super League and they look to be in the mix for promotion should they sufficiently improve their points over the next year. The Broncos jumped from 24th last season to 14th in the new gradings.
Any club with Grade A status is immune from relegation, meaning Trinity, Castleford and Leigh, who all scored 15 or more, are safe. The three Grade B clubs in Super League are Hull FC, Huddersfield and Salford. The Red Devils, who finished fourth on-field in 2024 but were ranked 12th by IMG, called for clarity on the system’s nuances.
The club said: “We believe that additional due diligence within the reporting system may be necessary to maintain a level playing field. As a community-owned club, we cannot rely on private equity to improve certain criteria, therefore achieving a Grade A status is critical to the future of the club, as well as the City of Salford.”
