Nigel Wood, the Chair of the RFL Strategic Review, has given his verdict on the future of French clubs in Super League whilst also making an incredible claim about Leigh Leopards.
Wood was appointed to a Strategic Review with the owner of Leigh Leopards, Derek Beaumont, among those key in Wood’s return to the rugby league picture.
Having taken a huge pay-off to leave the RFL, he was brought back into the frame to oversee this Strategic Review and suggestions and reports claim that French clubs involvement in Super League is high on the agenda.
A major argument used against Catalans, or even Toulouse’s, involvement in Super League is that they bring very few fans to away games and therefore English clubs do not benefit from them.
On the other hand, the large English travelling support to Perpignan aids both the town and the city and Wood has now made an extraordinary claim about Leigh Leopards’ recent trip to the south of France, arguing that it was worth £4,000,000 to the local economy.
Do French teams have a future in Super League in Nigel Wood’s opinion?
Appearing on The Bench Podcast with Jenna Brooks and Jon Wilkin, Wood was quizzed on a number of things including French involvement in Super League, of which he was quick to remind listeners of his involvement in that decision.
“I was part of the group that recommended the inclusion of French clubs into the British competition,” he stated before explaining that the three objectives of having a French team in Super League were to strengthen the national team, create revenue and offer supporters a destination to attend.
Expanding, he said: “I would argue that 20 years on only the the last of those three has been achieved.
“The broadcast situation in France is very tricky because rugby union and football have such a stranglehold over that.
“I believe there is a role and there’s room for French clubs in the British pyramid but I think the issue is not whether they’re in, it’s on what terms are in.”
As an example of fans heading out to Perpignan en masse, Wood claimed that 4,000 Leigh Leopards fans headed there for their Round 15 win and he approximated a massive spend.
He explained: “Recently I’m told Leigh took 4,000 supporters down to Catalans probably spending a £1,000 a piece. That’s an economic impact of £4,000,000. How much of that is actually finding its way back into the very club that made that happen at Leigh? That’s the challenge we have to get right.
“I keep getting told well that you shouldn’t build a club on away support and that’s entirely right but at the moment there’s an imbalance because you know full well that the British supporters will go en masse into in France but the reverse doesn’t happen.
“We have to find a way to work to the benefit of both the British game and the French game.”
He would conclude that he is “very confident” of France’s involvement in the Super League going forward, however, his earlier comment about terms being revised could cause further issues for Catalans, who already have to pay for the travel and accommodation of English clubs.
