Totally Wicked Stadium in St. Helens, England
Featured image credit: Rob Ridley
Wakefield Trinity has secured its place in the 2025 Super League, thanks in part to stadium redevelopment work, as Rugby League Commercial, the joint venture between Super League and the Rugby Football League (RFL), revealed its first official club gradings.
Today’s (Wednesday’s) announcement forms a key part of the ‘Reimagining Rugby League’ plans instigated by IMG after the agency signed a 12-year strategic partnership with the RFL and Super League Europe back in 2022 to revamp the sport and its competitions in the UK.
In October 2023, seven Super League clubs received Grade A status in the indicative phase of the new process. Leeds Rhinos topped the list with a score of 17.49, with Wigan Warriors (16.87), St Helens (16.78), Catalans Dragons (16.73), Warrington Wolves (15.75), Hull KR (15.52) and Hull FC (15.05) the other teams to achieve Grade A status.
The remaining Super League teams at the time (Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants, Wakefield, Leigh Leopards and Castleford Tigers) received Grade B ratings. The club grading system effectively removes the conventional concept of promotion and relegation and is being formally introduced for the first time for the 2025 season.
All 35 professional clubs are now being annually assessed on five different metrics – stadium, fandom, finance, community and on-field performance – with the top 12 ranked teams being granted a place in Super League.
A maximum score of 20 is available with the stadium grading accounting for 15% of the overall weighting; fandom, performance and finance each accounting for 25% and community covering the remaining 10%.
In today’s first official gradings, St Helens come out on top with a score of 17.02. They are one of nine clubs to have secured an A grading which guarantees a place in Super League. The others include Wakefield, which was relegated from the Super League in 2023 and received a B grade in the illustrative gradings.
Rugby League Commercial said the club has undergone such a “thorough on and off-field transformation” under new ownership, including the opening of a new main stand at DIY Kitchens Stadium, that the 0.25 bonus points it received for Saturday’s victory in the Championship Grand Final lifted it above the threshold of 15 points (15.09) required for an A grade.
Wakefield’s near neighbours Castleford Tigers (15.02), and Leigh Leopards (15.13), have joined Trinity in climbing from B to A in the gradings – again, both as a result of substantial improvements made in all areas since 2023.
The 2024 season’s Super League champion, Wigan, is second in the rankings on 16.91, Rhinos third on 16.84 and Warrington (16.27). Hull KR (15.97) and Catalans (15.52) also retain their A grading.
Hull FC (14.51), Huddersfield Giants (14.48) and Salford Red Devils (13.97) are the three B-graded clubs who will complete the 2025 Super League. Hull FC loses its A grading following a deeply disappointing season on-the-pitch and, in theory, all three clubs are in danger of relegation following the 2025 season should they fail to improve their standings, while clubs below them do.
Outside the top 12 positions, London Broncos, which finished bottom of the 2024 Super League table, and Keighley Cougars have been the biggest improvers – although 20 of the 35 clubs increased their scores from the illustrative gradings of 2023.
Ten Championship clubs have been granted Grade B status and should any of those finish in the 12 highest-scoring clubs next year, they would be granted a place in Super League. The closest club to the top 12 is Toulouse Olympique, with a ranking of 13.58.
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