New grading sees London Broncos lose Super League place

Wakefield Trinity will replace London Broncos in Super League for 2025 having been awarded Grade A status as part of a restructure of the sport that will take effect next season.

The 2024 Championship Grand Final winners are among nine clubs along with St Helens, Wigan, Leeds, Warrington, Hull KR, Catalans, Leigh and Castleford to receive Grade A status.

Hull FC, Huddersfield and Salford received the highest B gradings and will complete the 12-team Super League next season, with Toulouse and London narrowly missing out.

Clubs have been graded under media giant IMG and Rugby League Commercial's 'Reimagining Rugby League' initiative.

Clubs in Super League, the Championship and League One have been assessed based on points calculated for on and off-field performance in order to decide who will make up the top flight in 2025, rather than promotion and relegation between the divisions.

They will be regraded again next season, giving clubs a chance to improve their ranking to earn a spot in a higher division.

London, promoted to the top flight for 2024 after beating Toulouse in the 2023 Championship Grand Final, were ranked 24th in 2023's initial IMG gradings, meaning they were likely to only spend one season in Super League.

But they moved up 10 places to 14th and missed out on retaining their place by just over a point.

They will now play in a 13-team Championship next season with Toulouse, Bradford, York, Widnes, Featherstone, Sheffield, Doncaster, Halifax, Batley and Barrow alongside Hunslet and Oldham who were promoted from League One last term.

League One will consist of Swinton, Whitehaven and Dewsbury all of which were relegated from the Championship, with Keighley, Rochdale, Midlands Hurricanes, Workington, North Wales Crusaders, Cornwall, Newcastle and Goole.