Championship clubs brace for central funding setback as model and likely distributions revealed

Clubs outside of Super League expect to learn in the next month how much central funding they will receive from the Rugby Football League for 2025: as a new IMG-led model which decides how much each club gets goes live.

Championship and League 1 clubs have historically been granted their distribution based on performance on the field. But as with most things in rugby league, that is set to change in 2025.

Instead, it will be the IMG rankings that decide how much money each club is awarded, with all teams likely to discover their exact amounts in the next month, Love Rugby League has learned. The trend of reduced distribution will continue in 2025.

At present, an illustrative guide has been issued to clubs informing them what they are likely to receive based on their 2024 gradings but that cannot be finalised yet due to the RFL’s budgets for this year and next not being complete.

However, what is known is the amount that will be distributed across each division. It is anticipated that, in a continued example of the stark drop-off in central distributions in recent seasons, there will be around £1.5million distributed between the 13 Championship teams in 2025.

In League 1, the financial reality is even more brutal: with little over £300,000 set to be shared between the 11 teams competing in the third tier next season.

The changes to the system means the Championship club who will receive the highest amount is not the team who were ranked highest in the league pyramid – London Broncos – but the team with the highest IMG gradings score: Toulouse Olympique.

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There will then be a sliding scale based on gradings scale. It means that, in order of most to least, distribution will be given to London Broncos, York Knights, Bradford Bulls, Barrow Raiders, Featherstone Rovers, Halifax Panthers, Sheffield Eagles, Batley Bulldogs, Widnes Vikings, Doncaster, Oldham and Hunslet.

The situation was amplified earlier this week when Widnes revealed to their supporters that they lost a full point on their gradings score due to the size of their press box and car park. That has cost them a significant five-figure sum due to how it has impacted their place on the gradings table.

In League 1, Keighley Cougars will get the highest amount of distribution followed by Workington Town, Swinton Lions, Dewsbury Rams, Rochdale Hornets, Whitehaven, Midlands Hurricanes, Cornwall, Newcastle Thunder, North Wales Crusaders and the professional game’s newest side, Goole Vikings.

Some clubs towards the bottom end of the pyramid could receive as little as £20,000 with Love Rugby League of the understanding that well over half of the teams outside Super League will not even receive £100,000 in distribution.

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