Magic Weekend to disappear and traditional system ripped up in IMG plan
MAGIC Weekend will disappear in rugby league’s biggest shake up for 26 years.
The traditional promotion and relegation structure will also be torn apart.
As SunSport revealed yesterday, loop fixtures will be dropped from Super League’s calendar as sports media giant IMG ‘re-imagines’ the 13-a-side code.
But its showpiece, again set for Newcastle next year, will disappear from 2024 in a ‘less is more’ 22-game strategy.
SunSport understands some clubs, who vote on the recommendations, were not happy but images of matches played in front of empty seats were shown as an argument why it should go.
IMG’s Matt Dwyer, who led the review, said: “There’s some evidence and a perception that we’re potentially cannibalising ourselves with our events.
“Our focus is to revive the Challenge Cup. As a concept, we’re not negative to Magic Weekend. It’s something we’d like to see how we can work in going forward.
“But it’s not part of the short to medium term. We need to bring a degree of scarcity to our key match ups.”
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IMG’s involvement as a 12-year ‘strategic partner’ is designed to help maximise the money rugby league brings in.
From 2025, clubs will be graded annually as category A, B or C, ending the concept of bottom down, top up automatically.
Category A clubs will be guaranteed a Super League spot, while the category B clubs in the top flight and Championship will be ranked based on criteria, with however many are needed making up the 12.
It is believed there will only be five or six category A clubs when the factors, yet to be agreed, are drawn up. Category C outfits can only play in the Championship or League One.
Dwyer added: “The objective is to get to a point where the 12 top tier clubs are category A. Then we’ll look to expand.”
Eager to separate the game – the on field spectacle – from the product – everything around it – Dwyer insisted: “The revenue driver is the product, that’s where we need to focus our attention.”
Other recommendations include moving the Challenge Cup final to May and an annual mid-season Test between England and France, one of three growth markets identified alongside London and the women’s game.
The salary cap will be reviewed, with a ‘salary cap floor’ proposed, while IMG also want to limit non-UK clubs in the structure to two – there is already Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique.
A new event, ‘something a bit different’, will also be introduced as the new plan does not encourage boom and bust.
Dwyer said: “The idea is to stop that from happening. We’re trying to move everybody up.”