Burnham looking for ‘hope’ to be returned to small clubs

Burnham, whose constituency includes Championship club Leigh Centurions, wants the Rugby Football League to scrap the licensing system which was introduced in 2008 in place of automatic promotion, arguing it is damaging the game.

“Winning the right to go up a level is the lifeblood of any sport,” said Burnham.

“It provides the ‘dream factor’ that keeps clubs alive and gives hope to fans coming through the turnstiles. Take it away and any sport will suffer at its lower levels.

“This is what is now happening to rugby league. The ‘closed shop’ at the top is beginning to cause real damage to the sport.”

Burnham, who attended Leigh’s recent 60-12 Challenge Cup defeat by Leeds, has written an open letter to the RFL calling for the successor to chairman Richard Lewis to make the issue a priority when he is appointed and is inviting fans to add their support.

In the letter, Burnham says: “We believe the return of a proper annual system of promotion and relegation is urgent and essential to the long-term health of our sport at every level and we cite the following specific reasons to support its re-introduction.

“It’s the British way of doing things. If you take away the dream of top-flight rugby league from the Championship clubs, you take away their lifeblood. Where is the incentive to invest in the squad if there is no prospect of promotion?

“Promotion and relegation adds excitement and drama to the season at both ends of the tables. Currently bottom-of-the-table fixtures are played out as meaningless games.”

Super League is now in its second period of three-year licensing, which was introduced in an effort to introduce stability after clubs experienced extreme difficulties due to the previous “yo-yo” system.

Clubs from the Championship are invited to apply for licences every three years as long as they meet minimum standards on and off the field, with potential to replace existing Super League clubs which consistently under-perform.

Widnes were elevated to Super League last year, taking the place of Crusaders after the Wrexham-based club opted to withdraw from the top flight.

A RFL spokesman said: “We are aware of the comments made by Andy Burnham and welcome his contribution to the ongoing debate about licensing and promotion and relegation.

“Super League licensing is an evolutionary mechanism which is currently undergoing the detailed review process we always undertake after each round of licensing.”