Finding the positives in Super League’s plans to expand to 14 teams

News of Super League expanding to 14 teams has sent shockwaves through British rugby league: both positive and negative.

The very fact nine of the 12 existing top-flight clubs voted for it means there must be some perceived positives. And if you look closely enough, there are.

Of course, there are negatives too – and it’s perhaps important to point out that no structure is perfect, and no competition in rugby league will ever deliver what everyone wants.

So we’ve attempted to pluck out the positives from the 14-team expansion.

The obvious benefit

The removal of loop fixtures does not need much explaining as to why it is a major benefit. Leigh owner Derek Beaumont said in an interview this week that when fixtures are repeated for a second time as a consequence of loop games, there is an 8.9 per cent reduction in attendance.

Clubs are well within their rights to argue that figure is damaging and protect their financial income. Throw in other aspects such as the fact some games had been played three times this year before others had even been staged once, and it’s fairly obvious why this change has happened.

Sky Sports will also see it as a tangible positive; a cleaner, simpler fixture list with no repeats. It works for everyone – and it’s the primary reason why this happened now.

Chances for British players

With two extra teams, that’s 60 extra Super League players that will need to be found for 2026, on the assumption most squads run to the size of around 30.

Of course, one area where that will be met is on the increase to the overseas quota. With all clubs allowed ten non-domestic players in 2026, that is 20 of the 60 players straight away. It is safe to assume that both clubs that are added to Super League will run with full overseas quotas.

But while criticism of that decision to increase the quota from top clubs is valid in terms of blocking talent pathways, there are likely to be more opportunities for younger, British players on the fringes of elite clubs’ first-team squads lower down the food chain.

Some of the Championship’s best talent will likely get a chance to come up to Super League as a result – though not every part-time player has the desire to go full-time due to commitments away from the game. That means players that find opportunities limited at the clubs they have risen through the ranks at could play elsewhere.

Over time – and we are told this is a long-term plan for expansion – the increased chances for younger British talent should lead to a rising of the talent pool at the highest level.

An attraction to broadcasters.. perhaps

This is heavily caveated with the point that nothing has been proven yet on this aspect, nor will it be until we discover the value of the next TV deal with Sky Sports or anyone else.

But there are cautious hopes that the addition of two more teams may make Super League a more viable and attractive proposition to broadcasters. That will largely depend on who those two teams are, but if there is a marked and noted pick-up in subscriptions from those two areas, Sky will certainly take notice.

And it may just add value to the next TV deal. But it’s not a guarantee.

Positive expansion.. perhaps

Of course, this last one depends on who is coming up. But if you were to see the likes of Toulouse, York and London in Super League, there reappears a hope for some semblance of expansion.

Quite what happens in 2027 remains unclear – especially when the 2026 proposals haven’t been locked down. If the clubs coming up are given a buffer, or there’s no relegation for 2027, it would enable clubs like Toulouse and London, who have spent their time bouncing from division to division, the chance to lay down some roots.

Only then do you really begin to get a foothold in the areas where you trade. Want proof? Exhibit A: Catalans Dragons. More eyes and ears on those clubs as elite organisations.. who knows, perhaps all hope isn’t lost.

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