7 things IMG value more than a Challenge Cup triumph after Hull KR’s historic win

Hull KR won their first major honour in 40 years as they lifted the Challenge Cup on Saturday afternoon: but that achievement is only worth 0.25 points in the eyes of IMG.

It’s worth noting that, like most Super League clubs, Hull KR are already very secure in their Grade A status.

Given the way things are going on and off the field at Craven Park, their IMG score is likely to rise again this year, and the 0.25 points scooped by their 8-6 victory against Warrington Wolves at Wembley will aid that cause.

This article is firmly in jest, but here’s a look at seven things IMG value more – or at least equally – than a team winning the Challenge Cup…

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An average attendance of less than 1,500 – 0.75

Up to 2.5 points are up for grabs from IMG for your attendance, which is defined as ‘the average number of fans attending regular season home games in person’.

The fewest points you can possibly pick up here though is 0.75, which is what you get if your average over the last three-year period is fewer than 1,500.

A catchment area threshold of below 130,000 – 0.5

The catchment area is defined as the population of the Local Authority District where a club’s stadium is located, and that figure is divided by the total number of Tier 1 and 2 clubs located in the same area.

If the tally of that sum is below 130,000, you receive 0.5 points from IMG. You cannot receive fewer, even if your rugby league stadium was located in Timbuktu.

A foundation turnover of between £50,000.01 and £249,999,99 – 0.5

Hull KR’s foundation could, and we’d imagine it probably does, earn them more IMG points than their Challenge Cup final win.

Just for a foundation existing, clubs earn 0.25 IMG points. If that foundation has an average turnover of more than £50,000 but less than £250,000 over the last three accounting periods, you receive 0.5 IMG points.

Not being shown on any broadcast platform in a season – 0.5

Back in December, the IMG system was adjusted to allow for more opportunities for clubs to score points in terms of how often they are broadcast.

Under the previous system, it was black and white: every club who had an average viewing threshold of over 150,000 scored 1 point, and every club who didn’t scored 0.75 points.

Now, if you don’t get broadcast at all in a season, you still get 0.5 points! DOUBLE what a Challenge Cup is worth. Laughable.

More than 2 million website visits – 0.375

The ‘digital’ section of the IMG grading was also changed back in December, and probably for the better.

It was deemed far to easy to pick points up because of the thresholds, and now, to get top marks in terms of website visits, you need to amass more than two million over the course of a year.

If you do, you get 0.375 points from IMG, and a pat on the back too, we imagine.

Finishing 33rd of 35 teams in average league finish ranking – 0.3429

At the start of 2025, there were 36 clubs competing across the British game’s top three tiers: 12 in Super League, 13 in the Championship and 11 in League 1.

Now, Cornwall have withdrawn from the third tier, so it’s back down to 35.

That means that only two clubs will earn fewer than the 0.25 points KR earned for their Challenge Cup win courtesy of their league position.

Everyone from the 33rd position upwards yields more, with position 33 picking up 0.3429. New boys Goole Vikings occupy that 33rd spot at the minute, sat eighth in League 1.

Submitting your paperwork on time – 0.25

Okay, we hold our hands up. 0.25 points here is the exact same value as a Challenge Cup win, not more.

But we just had to include this. Last year, two clubs failed to submit their paperwork on time, so didn’t receive their IMG score and grading when the other clubs did.

Because of that, a 0.25 point penalty has now been reduced, so if any club doesn’t get the fax machine working in time this year, they’ll be punished quite heavily.

So, if you manage to get your paperwork in prior to the deadline, you’ve technically earned 0.25 points – or at least retained them.