RFL interim Chair Nigel Wood is leading a strategic review of the sport; review tasked with increasing fan engagement, talent pool, revenue and international presence of Rugby League;watch every Super League game this season live on Sky Sports
As Rugby League faces a pivotal moment in its modern history, Nigel Wood has returned to the spotlight to lead a strategic review aimed at reshaping the sport’s future.
Wood, whostepped down as chief executive of the Rugby Football League in 2018after 10 years at the helm, is back on the scene to lead the game through a period of uncertainty – and opportunity.
The review, commissioned in 2025, is tasked with assessing the sport’s current state with the objective of making the Rugby League product as good as possible and a more attractive proposition for private investment.
“We’ve been asked to look at a kind of top-to-bottom, root and branch assessment of where the sport is in 2025,” Wood toldThe Bench with Jenna and Jon.
“What the challenges are, what we need to do to make it the best possible competition it can be and make it the most investable proposition it can be.
“There’s an appetite from the owners to say there’s probably a better way of doing this. They want to make sure that whatever they take to market is the best possible version of itself.”
Wood confirmed expansion would be on the table, with discussions around growing the Betfred Super League from 12 to 14 teams, but stressed caution was needed.
Listen to The Bench with Jenna and Jon
“We should be following and pursuing an expansion strategy – but not recklessly,” he explained.
Source: Skysports
