BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Rugby League Commercial chair Nigel Wood has claimed that Leigh Leopards supporters had a positive economic impact of £4 million from their recent away match against Catalans.
In an interview with The Bench podcast, Wood was asked about the strategic review his group is running and the possibility of the terms of French clubs participating in RFL competitions changing in the near future. One of the key figures in bringing Wood back to the top of UK rugby league was Leigh owner Derek Beaumont, and speculation has increased that in the near future French clubs may lose out on their central distribution from the RFL.
On The Bench, Wood was asked if the terms for French clubs may change beyond paying for travel for UK clubs to go to France. Currently, Catalans and Toulouse cover all the travel costs for UK clubs and match officials, with it reported to cost the Dragons around £800,000 this season.
Wood replied: “That’s one of the… My push back on that Jon, would be recently I’m told Leigh took 4,000 supporters down to Catalan, probably £1,000 pounds apiece. That’s an economic impact of £4 million pounds.
“So the inclusion of French teams creates significant economic impact. How much of that is actually finding its way back into the very club that made that happen at Leigh? And that’s the challenge we have to get right.
“You know, I keep getting told we shouldn’t build a club on away support. I keep having that kind of thrown into discussions. And that’s entirely right.
“But at the moment, there’s an imbalance because you know full well that British supporters will go en masse into France, whether that’s the Championship club who is going to Toulouse or the Super League club who is going to Catalan. But the reverse doesn’t happen.
“So we have to find a way to work to the benefit of both the British game and the French game.”
Leigh defeated Catalans 26-12 on June 21 at Stade Gilbert Brutus. The crowd at the stadium was 9,134.