Rugby League's Divide: Lower Clubs Rebel Against IMG's 'Closed Shop' System

The Keighley Cougars, a prominent Championship rugby league club, have upped their defiance against the IMG grading system, choosing not to submit any data for the 2026 rankings. This move highlights a deepening rift within British rugby league, with numerous lower-tier clubs echoing concerns that IMG 'Reimagining Rugby League' strategy unfairly protects the Super League elite and stifles genuine sporting ambition. Their long-standing protest comes as other clubs also voice frustrations, with one director even alleging some rivals are inflating attendance figures to boost their scores. The contentious IMG system, fully implemented from 2025, judges clubs on a range of factors including stadium facilities, financial health, and fan engagement, with on-field performance accounting for only 25% of a club's overall grade. Critics, led by Keighley's owners Ryan O'Neill and Kaue Garcia, argue this creates a 'closed shop' where traditional sporting merit is sidelined, favoring established teams regardless of their league finishes. This concern gained further traction with the recent 2026 gradings, where London Broncos, despite winning the Championship Grand Final, ranked outside the top-tier threshold, yet appear poised for Super League admission, raising questions about consistency and transparency. As the Rugby Football League (RFL) acknowledges ongoing meetings to potentially tweak the IMG metrics, the future of promotion and relegation remains a hot topic. Clubs are pressing for a fairer system that genuinely rewards on-field success and realistic attendance targets within their own divisions. The coming months will reveal whether these discussions lead to meaningful changes that address the widening gap and restore confidence in the sport's pathway for all clubs, or if the divide between the elite and aspiring teams will continue to grow.