IMO the only way to revive the game, and save it from almost certain death or part time status in the next 10-15 years in the UK is another SL break-away and complete re-branding.
• Super league has been lost to womans footbal, netball and fantasy football leagues, just like the Rugby WC, due to our ineptitude and failure to trademark it!
• The word 'league' also has negative connotations....just listen to how some in the southern based media say the word 'league' is derisory.
• Most of the media make it clear it is the northern game, and perpetuate old stereotypes of whippets, coal mines, deprived northern towns and eddie wearing!
We need to go the same way as france....ditch league and rebrand the whole game as
Rugby XIII, spoken as
Rugby thirteens.It would cause confusion to loads of casual JCL union fans who watch six nations etc to watch our game and realise the product is better, without the negative connotations and the job union has done to it!
It would create a new product...some would see it as a new sport.......imagine a marketing campaign where you went out to buy 1 second slots on national prime time advertising just with a black screen and RUGBY XIII...Its coming! .....Then expand with occasional adverts showing class snippets of action.
It would do what 'the hundred' is doing for cricket, but would also help us nick those union fans on the fringes, if done correctly.
But, like the hundred, it also needs to be done as part of a brave re brand, appealing to new people and giving people in different regions a team to support- to appeal to wider new fan base but also dispel the myth that we are just run down northern towns that detracts investors and sponsors...and gives us only Heinz big soup and bachelors peas.
IMO we need to rebrand most teams, still essentially the same teams, playing in the usual towns, same grounds and initially to largely the same fanbase, but with a re-branding which allows them to play into much wider markets....with perhaps 1-2 games within their region away from their base each season to support growth.
Imagine a SL of the following;
Leeds RhinosLiverpool Saints (St Helens rebrand, still based at Langtree park in St Helens etc, but showing presence)
Manchester Fords (Salford rebrand on the same premise as Saints, with Fords being a throw to Salford) If Salford are too parocial and not brave enough then a new Manchester club.
Cheshire Wire (Warrington rebrand- same premise)
Lancashire Warriors or possibly Wigan Lancs (due to the strength of the Wigan brand)
Hull East Yorkshire
London SW BroncosTyne Thunder Newcastle rebrand, promoted to SL
Wales / Celtic Crusaders Back at Wrexham where they were successful and actually starting to get crowds.
Catalan DragonsToulouse Olympique who will probably be in next year anyway
Sky and most advertisers would pay double what they are currently paying on the basis of the rebrand alone. Most of those clubs are already in place and ready to go, but with some smart re-brands you are appealing to huge areas of the country, rather than a few hundred thousands in deprived northern towns. Some say its pie in the sky, it'll never happen because fans would be in arms, but IMO i would be prepared to lose the 20-40/50% who can't see the bigger picture and how much this increases the commercial viability of the game....they can be replaced rather than hold the game back and ultimately kill it!
You may add another one or possible 3/4 teams to that on a franchise model and on the basis of appealing to wider areas.
It Toronto can sort themselves and ultimately get Ottawa in, they would get places.
If cas sorted a new ground you could have West Yorkshire Tigers....otherwise if they want to remain parochial in their hovel of a ground they would play in a strong re-formed British Championship
British champions get the opportunity to apply for a SL licence should they wish every 3 years, upon condition of appealing to a wider area. Ie/ if york came in they'd be York North Yorkshire - Sheffield - South Yorkshire etc.
Yes it takes a huge mindshift, We need to be brave! But we are at a point where we can be parochial and backward thinking no longer.
The clubs need to embrace it, otherwise we're dead in the water in 10 years, back to semi pro and amateur.
If you're that childish and parochial you won't go if your team re-brand to represent a wider area, your a massive reason why the game is dying in the first place. Ultimately the game has to lose some of this deadwood to survive IMO.
