Club revolt leads to postponement of crucial rugby league meeting

The future of rugby league has been thrown up in the air after a crucial meeting on the structure of the sport was postponed.
CLUB REVOLT: The RFL has been forced to postpone a crucial meeting on the sport's restructureCLUB REVOLT: The RFL has been forced to postpone a crucial meeting on the sport's restructure
CLUB REVOLT: The RFL has been forced to postpone a crucial meeting on the sport's restructure

Representatives from clubs in Super League and the Kingstone Press Championships were due to gather in Leeds on Wednesday after an Extraordinary General Meeting of the rugby league council had been called to debate the restructuring of the game from 2015.

The council was due to present the findings of the major policy review and rubber-stamp plans to reduce Super League to 12 clubs for the 2015 season, bringing an end to licencing.

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Part of the review also included a new league set-up of 12 teams in two divisions which splits into three divisions of eight midway through the season.

But a revolt led by Wigan Warriors chairman Ian Lenagan, who sent a letter to clubs last week highlighting doubts over the restructure plans, has forced the Rugby Football League to postpone the meeting.

An RFL statement said: “A majority of Super League clubs have indicated an interest in further consultation on the detail of the proposals in order to reach the best solution.

“These discussions will continue to positively progress but all parties involved are unanimous in their belief that the key focus for Rugby League at this moment is staging a successful Rugby League World Cup 2013 and this should be the focus of the sport.”

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The postponement means players throughout Super League and the Kingstone Press Championships could be returning to pre-season training not knowing the structure of the game from 2015 onwards.

It also comes less than three weeks before the Rugby League World Cup kicks-off.