Rebellion threatens RFL
The sport of rugby league today entered the first phase of a cold war as the dust settled on an attempted coup which threatens to bring down the governing body.
The Rugby Football League was forced into an embarrassing climbdown when a majority of Super League clubs demanded a re-think over its plans to re-structure the domestic game.
Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington said he was "surprised and disappointed" at the decision by the RFL to call off Wednesday's extraordinary general meeting while Ian Swire, chairman of back-to-back Championship Grand Final winners Sheffield Eagles, questioned the timing of the move, which comes less than three weeks before the opening matches of the World Cup.
The RFL declined to add any comment to its statement, issued late on Monday night, which said that a majority of Super League clubs wanted "further consultation" over the policy review which has been the subject of meetings and discussions for most of the year.
The headline proposal is a reduction in the number of top-flight clubs, along with the method of re-introducing automatic promotion and relegation, but the central issue appears to be control of the game and, more pertinently, the purse strings.
The rebellion has been led by Wigan owner Ian Lenagan, who invited all 14 Super League clubs to a meeting in Huddersfield on Monday to draw up a response to the policy review.
Lenagan did not respond to calls but he is understood to be unhappy that no vote was actually taken on the proposal to go down to 12 clubs and feels the governing body has not done enough to market the game and bring in additional income.
He also wants Super League clubs to be given a greater say in the future direction of the sport, with representation on the currently independent board of directors.
Hetherington did not attend the "rebels"' meeting but confirmed Rhinos would have backed the RFL recommendations.
Swire, who also anticipated a rubber-stamping, said his club were ready to back the RFL plan after initially favouring a league of four teams of 10.
The move by Lenagan and his colleagues is seen as a vote of no-confidence in the RFL and its chief executive Nigel Wood.
An RFL spokesman said the organisation is now focusing all its attention on the World Cup, with the launch less than a fortnight away.
The policy review will not now be officially re-considered until after the end of the World Cup, which leaves just two months of an off season to put plans in place.
Swire, whose side would have gone up to Super League in each of the last two seasons but for the licensing system, is still hoping for the return of promotion and relegation from next year.