Championship club named as ‘standout’ future Super League side with expansion looming
York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth
Championship side York Knights have been described by senior rugby league officials as a ‘viable’ and ‘standout’ future Super League club.
With nine Super League sides securing Grade A status in the IMG rankings on Wednesday, attention is already turning towards a possible expansion of the competition.
Toulouse, London, Bradford and York are the four highest-scoring Championship sides for 2025 in this year’s gradings. All four have ambitions and aspirations to reach Super League in the coming years.
And RL Commercial chief executive Rhodri Jones picked out the Knights, who enjoyed a strong second half to the season under Mark Applegarth, as a club with real potential to get in and amongst the elite and compete.
“York for me is a real standout. People talk about 14 teams and the prospect of a 14-team Super League, are they a viable Super League club in the next two to three years? I think the answer is yes.
“They have a great facility and management structure, and a great women’s and wheelchair team as well. They have the ingredients to become a very strong Super League proposition for us in the future.”
Jones confirmed on Wednesday that discussions over expanding to 14 teams will now accelerate in light of three-quarters of the competition having Grade A status after just one year of the system being live.
And with the Knights pushing up the rankings and aiming for Grade A themselves in the years ahead, they appear to be in the driving seat for a spot in Super League should more places open up.
But RFL chief Tony Sutton also singled out London for praise after a 50 per cent increase in their gradings score, and the way they have applied themselves over the last 12 months.
He said: “It’s really positive the progress London have made. Their stance and conversations through the last couple of months leads into the growth that has been achieved and that’ s a positive outcome from 24th last year.”
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