Peter V’landys has confirmed that Aussie rugby league chiefs held positive meetings with Super League bosses in London on Tuesday, amid speculation that the NRL is interested in purchasing a stake in the English league.
V’landys, the chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), was unable to comment to this masthead on the intricacies of the discussions, as well as whether the NRL is interested in purchasing a stake in the Super League, but told Daily Mail that ‘all options were on the table.’
‘There is a pathway forward, which naturally we’ve got to keep confidential because it’s commercially sensitive,’ V’landys said.
‘Not all of the Super League clubs were there,’ he added. ‘But they will go back to their stakeholders to feed back on the discussion. We’ve got to go back to ours. So it’s early days.’
The Sydney Morning Herald has previously reported that talks over a potential partnership between both organisations had begun in March during the NRL’s season opener in Las Vegas.
The outlet adds that the NRL had also opened up discussions to purchase a 33 per cent stake in the Super League, on the basis that it would take administrative control of the league, but any talk over a potential purchase is yet to be confirmed.
Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V’landys (right) has confirmed that positive talks were held on Tuesday between NRL representatives and some Super League clubs (NRL CEO Andrew Abdo, pictured left)
It comes as speculation has risen in recent months that the NRL could be interested in purchasing a stake in the English competition
Rugby League chiefs have been in London this week following the Rugby League Ashes clash between England and Australia at Wembley
V’landys did state that league bosses, who met in London ahead of this weekend’s second Ashes Test between England and Australia at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium, spoke on ways in which both leagues could grow and market the game better.
But the footy boss added that for the game to grow on a global scale, the NRL needs to have the English league moving in the right direction.
‘The NRL wants to make rugby league a global game. In order to make it a global game you need England to be striving,’ he explained.
V’landys told Daily Mail that the NRL and English clubs are hoping to help protect the future of the Super League to ‘ensure that it thrives in England’, that it is financially viable and attracts new fans.
The meetings come at a time when the Super League has been struggling financially, with multiple clubs around the league alarmingly reporting operating losses for the year ending in October 2024. Powerhouses St Helens recorded a whopping £1,921,533 worth of losses, while Leeds Rhinos posted another huge figure of £1,443,433.
There are hopes that plans to expand the league in 2026 from a 12-team competition to a 14-club franchise will further aid the league’s endeavours to reach more audiences, with French side Toulouse Olympique XIII and York RLFC set to enter the competition from next season.
The ARLC chairman added that he believes the NRL can help the Super League improve its exposure on television, noting that the Australian franchise has seen an explosion in viewing figures in recent years.
‘I believe in rugby league, and rugby league might be the greatest game for all,’ he added. ‘We’ve just got to market our sides better and market it in England to a greater audience and that’s what the NRL can bring.
‘We’ve increased our audience from 137m to 230m because we believe in our game and we think we can add some value here and there in that regard.’
During this year’s NRL finals, Australian TV networks reported that the football league had amassed some incredible viewing numbers, with a 6.4m people in Australia tuning in to watch Reece Walsh’s Brisbane Broncos epic Grand Final comeback against Cameron Munster’s Melbourne Storm.
V’landys (right) stated that the NRL can add some value to the Super League in regard to how it has grown its television viewing audiences in recent years
There are hopes that plans to expand the Super League in 2026 from a 12-team competition to a 14-club franchise will further aid the league’s endeavours to reach more audiences
It comes as multiple Super League clubs have reported major losses in the past year, with several clubs, including powerhouses Leeds and St Helens, posting figures of over £1million
The talks also come at a timely moment for the NRL, with league bosses currently negotiating a brand new television rights deal with US streaming giants. It is understood that Netflix, DAZN and Amazon, which could be implemented following the 2027 season.
‘It’s a global strategy for selling rugby league. For us it’s not about making money. It’s about growing the game. We believe in the game.
‘So whatever we do here it’s not going to be at our financial advantage but it is for the betterment of the game.’
Daily Mail has contacted the Rugby Football League for comment.
