Salford set for name change in 2026 as new owners address Manchester rebrand

The new rugby league club in Salford is highly unlikely to be called the Red Devils – with new owner Mason Caton-Brown admitting the team is ‘most likely’ going to be reborn under a new name.

Salford were ordered into liquidation earlier this month after mounting debts and a chaotic 12 months. Caton-Brown’s consortium were subsequently awarded the playing licence to restart the club in the Championship in 2026 after seeing off a rival bid led by former CEO Chris Irwin.

But the intellectual property – such as social media handles and, crucially, the team name – are now in possession of the liquidators and while they can be purchased to allow the Red Devils moniker to be used again in 2026, Caton-Brown admits they may well look in a different direction.

Speaking exclusively to Love Rugby League, the former Salford winger insisted while they have not fully ruled out being called the Red Devils, the direction of travel appears to be heading towards a new name. However, he categorically ruled out any new name having Manchester in it: and said the club will still be known as Salford.

“Let me be clear: this will always be a Salford club,” he said.

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“There have been lots of rumours about Manchester but this is Salford rugby league, and it will have Salford at the heart of it. We’re going to pick a name that fits the ethos and culture of the club.”

When asked if that would be the Red Devils, Caton-Brown said: “It will most likely be a new start and a new name. We want to make sure we’re doing it right though, and we will be engaging with our fans every step of the way on what that could look like.”

Caton-Brown insisted the club can now accelerate their plans to be ready for the start of the Championship season in 24 days, which includes unveiling a new head coach in the coming days and signing up a raft of players.

He said: “From now on we’re just looking at making progress every day. We already had a lot in place and planned but it’s about executing that now. We’ve got to get some pens to paper on announcements and get the squad together.”

Caton-Brown and his team also plan to hold a fans forum ahead of the new season to reveal more about their plans, as well as honour their promise of full transparency and honesty about the new club’s direction.

He said: “We are starting from scratch so we’ve got to be as open and transparent as we can be.

“That will be headlined by a fans forum in January shortly after the New Year. We want to get everyone down at the stadium and bring the fans together for a night of positivity.

“These last 12 months have been horrible and we want to get everyone associated with the club back together and on the same page.”

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