'Great day for the region': York Knights owner Clint Goodchild celebrates Super League breakthrough

The club have undergone a remarkable transformation since then, moving into a modern facility at the LNER Community Stadium and laying the foundations to compete at the highest level.

Once a small, regional outfit, York are now poised to take their place among the elite in Super League after receiving the green light through a panel recommendation.

The Knights became the competition's 25th club on Friday, a landmark moment for an area that has been starved of top-level sport since 1986 when York last had a rugby league team in the highest division.

For Australian businessman Clint Goodchild, who took over in 2022 and has built on the platform laid by Jon Flatman to take the Knights to new heights, the breakthrough is the culmination of years of ambition and belief.

"I think it'll sink in after the third pint tonight," said Goodchild with a smile following the announcement.

"We've not only had people from the rugby league community showing interest and sending their well wishes but there are people from the council and businesses we don't currently have partnerships with. They've been randomly sending in information on Instagram and email. This is a serious opportunity for us to get it right.

"It's a great day for the region. A team that can represent the region in the highest tier in professional sport, it's been a long time coming."

Goodchild had planned to move to a full-time set-up come what may but can now prepare for Super League with confidence.

The Knights have already signed a host of players with top-level experience, spearheaded by former Australia prop Paul Vaughan.

York are fresh from a season that delivered 1895 Cup and League Leaders' Shield successes, falling agonisingly short of a treble in the Championship Grand Final earlier this month.

Off the field, the Knights have enjoyed four years of growth across every area of the business.

From the men's and women's teams to the foundation, attendances and the commercial operations – not to mention the best facilities in the Championship – the Knights meet every standard of a Super League club.

The next challenge is to convert supporters who have previously had to go further afield to watch top-level rugby.

"It'll be interesting," added Goodchild.

"Over the last four years, I've built good relationships with Hull KR, Castleford, Leeds, Wakefield and Hull FC - and there are over 2,000 season ticket holders at those clubs that live in a YO postcode, at least.

"People want to see elite sport and the big brands. Now that we're playing on that level in their local area, it'll be interesting to see how many we can get on board.

"There's a local audience here that will jump on and get behind us, just through the pride of North Yorkshire."

Together with Toulouse Olympique, York were given the nod ahead of several Championship rivals – led by London Broncos – to join Bradford Bulls in a 14-team Super League in 2026.

The Bulls achieved promotion through the grading system, meaning they will receive the full central distribution of around £1.3million.

Having initially expected to self-fund their debut season in Super League, the Knights have received a welcome financial boost.

Goodchild added: "I'm thankful to be getting 50 per cent funding because we budgeted for zero. We have an additional £650,000 now."

Although they have been planning for Super League since May, the Knights are playing catch-up against established top-flight clubs.

York showed they were as ready as anybody in the Championship on the field this year, building on a bright start under Mark Applegarth in the second half of 2024 to claim the double.

At a low ebb when he left Wakefield Trinity following their relegation in 2023, Applegarth has earned a second crack at Super League with the ambitious Knights and is determined to prove they belong.

"I'm proud and privileged to be coaching York in Super League," said Applegarth, who took over last summer with the club in the lower reaches of the second tier.

"It's the vision that brought me to the club in the first place. Once I met with Clint, he had a burning desire to get York into Super League and be competing.

"We're happy and privileged that we're there but we don't just want to go and make the numbers up. We want to compete for trophies.

"It's not going to be a 12-month journey but that's the vision. If you look at teams like Hull KR, there's a blueprint there.

"We're where we want to be – but the hard work starts now in terms of making sure we have a squad capable of competing."