League 1 club attacks ‘unjust’ IMG and demands ‘lifeblood’ of promotion and relegation returns
Hunslet RLFC have lashed out at the IMG gradings criteria
Hunslet RLFC CEO Neil Hampshire has become the latest club boss to lash out against the IMG grading systems, stating that on-field performance ‘should be paramount’.
The IMG gradings for the 2025 season are due in the coming weeks, but the surprising performances of London Broncos have brought them into question as they stare relegation from Super League in the face.
Elsewhere, IMG gradings will currently limit clubs like Hunslet – who at the time of writing hold a C grade – from earning promotion to Super League in the future as well.
In a statement issued on the club’s official X account, Hampshire gave a damning enditement of the IMG criteria.
“Performance on the field should remain paramount. Promotion and relegation are, and always will be, the lifeblood of British sport and we should embrace that and see it as a strength rather than try to consider it as some kind of hindrance that requires a level of immunity,” said Hampshire.
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“If you take away hopes and dreams, then what’s left?”
He also detailed how the club initially opposed the IMG criteria, and they stand by their inital opposition.
“We remain proud to be one of the few clubs that voted against what we see as an unjust system and, in it’s current guise, we would absolutley do so again.”
“The process is time consuming and demoralising”
The strong words from Hampshire come admist Hunslet issueing an in-depth IMG grading update yesterday, where Hampshire detailed the club would likely be a C grade club ‘for some time’.
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“The process is both time consuming and, I have to say, pretty demoralising when you realise it would be almost impossible for a Club like ours to ever achieve grade A status,” he said in an open letter to fans.
“As it is, I think we could now struggle to move into grade B this year and, with potential increases to social media targets for 2025, we may well be a Grade C club for some time to come yet. However, the reality is that this process has no impact internally as we will continue to grow our business in a focussed and sustainable way.
“It also doesn’t deny us any opportunity for promotion into the Championship either. The main consequence is what the grade portrays to the wider public, that we are a Club not at the required standard. But that’s the wrong message to send.”
