Super League Confirms Expansion to 14 Teams for 2026 Season

Super League will expand to 14 teams for the 2026 season, following a vote by the competition’s 12 current clubs.

This marks the first expansion of the league since 2014 and is part of the ongoing ‘Reimagining Rugby League’ strategy led by IMG and Rugby League Commercial.

The new structure will be determined using the club grading system alongside input from an independent panel, chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine, a recent appointee to the Rugby Football League (RFL) board and its strategic review sub-committee.

The top 12 clubs in the grading table at the end of the 2025 season will be automatically granted Super League status. They will be joined by two additional clubs recommended by the panel—provided those clubs meet specific criteria and are judged of sufficient merit.

This grading system, introduced to shift the focus from traditional promotion and relegation, evaluates clubs across both on-field success and off-field performance, such as commercial strength, governance, and fan engagement.

The decision was finalised at a meeting of Super League clubs held at Headingley on Monday.

The expansion is another major step in the restructuring of the professional game, which saw Wakefield Trinity return to the top flight this year, replacing London Broncos based on the new grading rankings.