Super League: Wakefield Trinity return for 2025 season under IMG’s grading criteria with London Broncos in Championship

Wakefield Trinity will return to Super League for the 2025 season following the release of IMG’s gradings, with London Broncos dropping into the Championship.

The 11 other clubs in the Betfred Super League remain the same, with Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Warrington Wolves, Leeds Rhinos, Hull FC, Hull KR, Salford Red Devils, Castleford Tigers, Leigh Leopards, Huddersfield Giants and Catalans Dragons making up the competition.

The teams in Super League will not be determined by promotion or relegation from 2025 onwards. Instead, the 12 teams will be those who achieve the most points across a range of criteria, including fandom, on-field performance, finance, stadium and community. If a club gets 15 points or more they are Grade A, 7.5 points or more for Grade B.

There are nine clubs that have been awarded Grade A: Wigan, St Helens, Leeds, Warrington, Catalans, Hull KR, Leigh, Wakefield and Castleford Tigers. St Helens are top of the pile with 17.02 points, Wigan second with 16.91, and Leeds third on 16.84.

The other three clubs in Super League for 2025, the three highest-performing Grade B clubs, are then Hull FC, Huddersfield Giants and Salford Red Devils. Salford are the lowest-ranked club in Super League for 2025 with 13.97 points, Toulouse Olympique hot on their tails with 13.58 points as the highest-ranked club in the Championship.

Hull FC, on the illustrative gradings for 2024, were a Grade A club but they have dropped a category to Grade B, down from 15.05 points to 14.51 points.

London Broncos, despite dropping down a league into the Championship, made the biggest improvement from their illustrative grading to their current grading in a positive step forward for the club. They have risen massively from 8.07 points in the illustrative gradings to 12.65 points, putting them the second highest-ranked club in the Championship.

On-field performance accounts for 25 per cent of the grade, as does fandom and finance, with stadiums making up 15 per cent and catchment 10 per cent. There are 20 points on offer in total, 15 points getting a Grade A and 7.5 points earning a Grade B.

Wakefield thrashed Toulouse Olympique 36-0 in the Championship Grand Final, having already won the 1895 Cup and the Championship League Leaders’ Shield, meaning they would also have returned to Super League under the old system of promotion and relegation.

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