The Tigers and the Wildcats were among the existing 12 Super League clubs to have their licences renewed for another three years.

Celtic Crusaders and Salford City Reds have both been awarded three-year-franchise licences to swell Super League to 14 teams from next year.

Featherstone, Halifax, Toulouse, Leigh and Widnes are the five to miss out.

Castleford, who were promoted back to Super League last year, hope to move into a new stadium in 2010.

Tigers chief executive Richard Wright said: "This is fabulous news for the club and the fans and just what we have been waiting to hear.

"The fans are the true strength of the Tigers and their support over the last few years is undoubtedly the primary reason we have been successful.

"Our vision is very clear - a top-class team performing in a state of the art stadium - and today we have taken a huge step forward.

"The new stadium is moving ahead and this news can only add to the momentum of the project. Plans to strengthen the squad for 2009 are well advanced, and we expect to be able to make some announcements very soon on that front."

In a statement, Wakefield, who are no nearer to moving to a new stadium, said: "We are obviously delighted to have been awarded a place in the Super League for the next three years.

"It's testament to the hard work, effort and dedication contributed by everyone both on and off the field and we look forward to strengthening further over the next three years in the elite competition."

Licences are awarded for a three-year period to promote improvements in standards and create stability.

Former dual-code Wales international Jonathan Davies has hailed the decision to award Celtic Crusaders a place in Super League.

Davies, the Bridgend-based club president, said: "This gives the Welsh public the opportunity to see top-class rugby league in Wales on a week-by-week basis, which is something that's never happened before.

"We missed the boat in both 1995 and 1998 when a Super League side could have been placed down here but this decision more than makes up for it.

"Now, more of an infrastructure is in place with teams at all levels in Wales from schoolboys upwards, which wasn't the case 10 years ago.

"The Welsh public love top-level sport and I'm sure that Celtic Crusaders will be a great success in Super League. I'd like to thank the RFL for giving us the opportunity and roll on 2009."

The unsuccessful clubs, and others, will have the chance to reapply when licences are awarded for 2012-2014.

The RFL have set no upper limit on numbers so the competition could again be expanded to 15 or 16 clubs.

Widnes had been among the front-runners to be included this time and chairman Steve O'Connor, who rescued the club from financial ruin last year, insists the club will bounce back.

O'Connor said: "It is obviously deeply disappointing to the board, officials, players and fans of this great club.

"We now need to sit down and assess the full implications of this ruling over the next few days. However, it is important that our fans are reassured that I am fully committed to Widnes Vikings.

"There was great competition for these 14 licences and some of the applicants were bound to lose out at the end of the day."

For the full story read Wednesday's Yorkshire Post.