"Sport by spreadsheet" - Cougars in Parliament to oppose new Rugby League Plans

Keighley Cougars have met with Government officials against new rugby league proposals.

Joined by local MP Robbie Moore Cougars owners Ryan O'Neill and Kaue Garcia met with the Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew, recently to share their concerns about the plans.

The proposals, which will require a majority of the 38 clubs to vote in favour next month, will see each rugby league team given a grade of A, B or C and promoted or relegated in accordance with their grades from the start of the 2025 season onwards. 

This means that those clubs achieving the highest “grades” will be either move up to, or be immune from relegation from, the top-flight. 

Performance on the pitch has a 25% weighting in the overall grading of clubs, with IMG introducing the categories of “fandom” (25%), which covers attendance and digital engagement of teams, “finances” (25%), which covers a club’s financial sustainability, “stadium”, which prioritises facilities and fan experience (15%) and “catchment” (10

The club state that support is building to turn down the proposals, with the pair canvassing clubs to gather further momentum ahead of a crucial vote in mid-April to decide if the plans go ahead.

Robbie Moore MP said:

The Keighley Cougars have my full backing in their opposition to the IMG’s unfair proposals.

These plans are highly reminiscent of last year’s failed attempts to create an unfair ‘European Super League’ (ESL) for football, penalising clubs like the Cougars who have grafted hard to win and creating a new elitist venture where top clubs can pay-in to win with guaranteed immunity from relegation.

It is surely not compatible with the basic principles of sport and competition to consider factors like club finances, stadia, and fanbase when making promotion or relegation decisions. This should be decided by actual performance on the pitch.

It was therefore fantastic to meet with the owners of Keighley Cougars, Kaue Garcia and Ryan O’Neil again just last week to discuss these unfair proposals. Together, we met with the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport, Gambling and Civil Society, and Minister for Equalities, the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP, who listened to our concerns.

I have subsequently written to the IMG and other Rugby League clubs urging them to consider the negative impacts these new rules will have on the sport before the crucial vote on which takes place in mid April. Rejecting such proposals is vital for the interests of fairness of sport.”