GARY Hetherington has lamented Super League’s failure to expand rugby league’s geographical boundaries as the competition celebrates its 30th anniversary.
Hetherington was head coach of Sheffield Eagles as they kicked off the competition away to Paris Saint-Germain on March 29 1996, yet the South Yorkshire side would merge with Huddersfield Giants and reform as a part-time lower-tier club at the turn of the century while the outfit in the French capital collapsed after the 1997 season.
The now-14-team Super League does have two French clubs in Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique among those from rugby league’s traditional north-west England and Yorkshire heartlands, but the failure of expansion attempts in places such as Gateshead and Wales – much to former Leeds Rhinos executive Hetherington’s concern.
- The Contratrian: These innovations work well in the NRL, but they’re a disaster for Super League
- Michael Ennis an early tip for Hull KR head coach job
- Rugbyleaguehub.com on YouTube | Rugbyleaguehub.com on Facebook
“The game has not actually expanded geographically, and while we have pockets of rugby league all over the country in different guises, we’ve not expanded the competition,” Hetherington told Sky Sports’ The Bench podcast.
“We should have done – we should have had a strategic plan which looked to support development in London and the south, in Wales, in the south-west of England, even in Ireland and Scotland.
“The game has never had a strategic plan to say ‘this is where we want to be in 10 years’ time and this is how we’re going to get there.'”
Hetherington, who founded the Eagles in the early 1980s and then oversaw Leeds’ golden era in Super League after joining the club in 1999 alongside businessman Paul Caddick, is now overseeing London Broncos’ bid to establish themselves in the top flight again.
The Broncos were Super League mainstays from the competition’s inaugural season to 2014 when they were relegated, and have not hit those heights again despite brief returns in 2019 and 2024.
Now under the ownership of Australia great Darren Lockyer and mining magnate Grant Wechsel, the Broncos are currently top of the Championship after an unbeaten start to the 2026 league season and eyeing a return to Super League next year.
The Broncos were passed over for a place in the expanded 2026 competition in favour of Bradford Bulls, York Knights and Toulouse, but chief executive Hetherington believes there are huge opportunities for rugby league in and around the capital.
“London is a big project and if we can get it right – which we will, both on and off the field – then it can make a material difference to the value of our game,” Hetherington, who cited the presence of 26 community rugby league clubs in London and the south as a potential growth point, said.
“London and the south is a big area, and the plan is to have both a successful team and club where players are recognised, and a successful rugby league operation off the field as well.
“We want to engage people in London and the south of England to become London Broncos fans, even if they don’t come to the games, they respect the club and watch them on TV and become a fan of rugby league.
“There are a variety of opportunities London and the south present, which I think it’s fair to say the London club has never really taken advantage of.”
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
