World Cup can spark backing – Hetherington

It was revealed yesterday that the Northern Rail Cup, a competition for Championship and Championship One clubs, will not take place next season as its eight-year sponsorship agreement has now ended.

Super League have not received any sponsorship money for the last two seasons and even the World Cup itself – which starts next Saturday – has no title sponsor.

That means only two of the sport’s five major competitions have financial backing with Tetley’s supporting the Challenge Cup and Kingstone Press backing the Championship, drawing obvious concerns.

Discussions regarding the future structure of Super League had already been postponed until after the World Cup tournament after a numbers of clubs, led by Wigan Warriors, raised concerns about the RFL’s plans to reorganise the competition for 2015.

Talks are still ongoing with Northern Rail about their involvement in rugby league and the competition itself could return in a different format after what the RFL have described as next year’s “transitional” season.

A successful World Cup would certainly help attract new commercial partners to the game, too, and Hetherington believes there are plenty ready to start investing.

“I went to Old Trafford for the Grand Final a few weeks ago and there was a room full of high-profile national companies all with a significant interest in our game,” he told the Yorkshire Post.

“I was extremely heartened by that because last year – at the 2012 Grand Final – that room was not busy at all.

“There are far more companies involved now, some already announced with their involvement at the World Cup, and I’m expecting plenty will follow that into the domestic game.

“It’s always disappointing when a current partner doesn’t renew but I’m really confident – extremely confident, in fact – that more sponsors will be found on the back of this World Cup.”

With RFL non-executive chairman Brian Barwick now embedded in his role and hopes the wrangling over Super League proposals will soon be sorted – “all clubs rather than just half are meeting next Wednesday” – Hetherington believes there is ample reason to anticipate turning the corner.

“With the World Cup and the plans to restructure the leagues, these are a perfect set of circumstances to attract new sponsors to the game,” he continued.

“There’s no doubt over the last three or four years with the uncertain market some Super League clubs have hit financial problems but, going forward, with new owners at quite a few clubs, there’s a great opportunity for us all as a group to showcase what we have.

“Looking ahead to 2015, on the back of the World Cup, it will give the executive something to really sell to the market.

“It (the World Cup) is crucial in doing that. We’ve a superb product in both the Super League and the Championship.

“Where we have struggled is with some individual clubs, but that can be put down to their own mis-management. That has brought huge pressure on the game and a burden that everyone else has had to carry.

“But with a new executive hopefully those days are in the past.”

Hetherington also reckons England have an excellent chance of lifting the trophy for the first time since 1972 which, in itself, would prove a massive fillip for the sport.

“I think it’s the best England side we’ve had on paper for more than 20 years,” he added. “We’ve got more world class players than we’ve had for a long time and it will be an extremely well-prepared England team.

“We’re starting out as third favourites but we’ve got a real chance of making a mark.”

The Northern Rail Cup has been staged under various names since 2002, but clubs received an email last week revealing it has been “removed” from the calendar for next year.

The competition was traditionally staged on a group basis in pre-season, with knockout rounds played later in the year.

This year Championship One clubs played four rounds of group games, with the top-two joining the 14 Championship sides in the sudden-death stages.

However, Northern Rail’s eight-season sponsorship ended after Leigh Centurions beat Sheffield Eagles in July’s final at Halifax.

An email from the governing body to clubs stated: “Having received concerns from clubs regarding the fixture schedule in 2013, and in light of the “transitional” nature of the 2014 season, the Northern Rail Cup has been removed from the 2014 calendar.

“The position of a Championship and Championship One Cup competition from 2015 onwards will be reviewed following completion of the Policy Review.”

There are only nine clubs in Championship One so without group games in the NRC a home-and-away campaign would give teams just 16 fixtures.

The RFL are now considering a format which would see clubs play some others more than twice, to take the fixture list up to 20 or 22 matches.

The Rugby League Sponsor Deals...

World Cup: No title sponsor.

Super League: No deal since a three-year no-cash contract with Stobart ended last July.

Challenge Cup: Brewery Tetley’s signed a two-year deal in January.

Championship: Kingstone Press Cider agreed a two-year deal in February replacing Co-op.

northern rail Cup: Competition disbanded after sponsor’s deal ends naturally.