NRL club set to ‘buy’ London Broncos with identity revealed
London Broncos fans pictured at Plough Lane during a Super League game in 2024
NRL outfit Brisbane Broncos are set to re-purchase Championship side London Broncos, securing the capital club’s future, according to reports.
Brisbane Broncos previously took ownership of London, then known as ‘Crusaders’ in the spring of 1994.
Renaming the capital club to bring them under the ‘Broncos’ tagline ahead of the 1994/95 campaign, former Brisbane coach Gary Grienke would also take charge of the team.
Businessman David Hughes eventually became involved in the club, with Richard Branson’s Virgin group assuming ownership of London in 1997.
But with Hughes having put the club up for sale at the end of a 2024 campaign which saw Mike Eccles’ side relegated before a ball had been kicked thanks to IMG’s gradings system, Brisbane are now in pole position to become the new owners oncemore.
That’s according to a report from Matt Hughes in The Sun, published on Sunday.
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NRL club set to ‘buy’ London Broncos with identity revealed
Hughes reports that other investors are also involved in the deal to take ownership, with ‘multiple sources’ detailing that the deal will be done by the end of the month.
If that proves correct, the new ownership will be in place for the beginning of the 2025 Championship campaign – which begins for London with a trip to Bradford Bulls on February 16.
As was widely reported at the time, NRL chiefs held talks with their Super League equivalents last year about buying a stake in the European competition.
But while those talks seemingly haven’t progressed, Brisbane appear to have taken the metaphorical bull by the horns with this investment into London.
Notably, the deal to take ownership involves a desire to keep London’s home as the Cherry Red Records Stadium at Plough Lane, which is owned and shared at the moment with English Football League Two outfit AFC Wimbledon.
The takeover will improve London’s IMG grading, and increase their chance of a possible return to Super League.
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