Clubs in Europe's top division in rugby league vote to add more teams from 2026
The future structure of the league was discussed during a meeting at Headingley, north England, on Monday, with a proposal agreed to immediately open up two additional places, provided certain conditions are met.
'The 12 existing Betfred Super League clubs have today voted to extend the competition to 14 teams for the 2026 season, subject to conditions,' a statement from Super League (Europe) Limited read.
'This would be done by combining the Club Grading System introduced to determine Super League membership as part of the sport's long-term strategic partnership with IMG in 2022, with an independent panel to be chaired by Lord Jonathan Caine, who was recently elected as a member of the Rugby Football League Board, and the Strategic Review Sub-Committee.
'The top 12 clubs under grading at the conclusion of the 2025 domestic season will therefore be joined by two clubs recommended by that panel — provided the panel judges there are two applications of sufficient merit against the set criteria.
'Further details of the composition of the panel and the timing of the process will be confirmed in due course.'
The Super League currently includes eleven teams from England and one side based in France — Catalans Dragons.
The new proposals could see Championship teams such as Toulouse Olympique, Bradford Bulls, York Knights and London Broncos considered for a place in the expanded 14-team top-flight.
Salford Red Devils, meanwhile, could see their Super League spot for 2026 reviewed given the club's ongoing financial issues.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool make MOMENTOUS Conor Bradley decision
Losing Trent Alexander-Arnold was a prospect Liverpool fans feared for a long time. As the defender's contract ticked down, it appeared inevitable that he would decline a new deal and sign for Real Madrid. As it transpired, that is EXACTLY what happened. After 20 years in red, the right-back moved on to the Bernabeu - leaving his Liverpool legacy in pieces. Losing a world-class, homegrown talent was no doubt a bitter blow. But Liverpool haven't missed a beat in the quest to replace Trent. LFC x adidas Shop the home range today! LFC x adidas Shop the goalkeeper range today LFC x adidas Shop the new adidas range today! Frimpong and Bradley are Liverpool's new options They have signed Jeremie Frimpong - with the Dutchman capable of playing right-back, right wing-back, right midfield and right wing. The 24-year-old possesses quality in several positions and presents too big an attacking threat to be described merely as a right back. And don't forget Conor Bradley. The loss of Trent could have been so much worse were it not for the presence of the young Northern Irishman. The 21-year-old has established himself as one of the best young full-backs around over the last 18 months or so. Liverpool have got faith in Bradley Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot had no qualms about throwing Bradley in at the deep end when Trent was unavailable. No doubt he softens the blow of losing Alexander-Arnold and he ensures continuity in the right-back position for years to come. Liverpool's faith in Bradley for the long term has been demonstrated by the awarding of new contract - inked shortly after the end of the season. Bradley is going nowhere and now comes the Reds' latest demonstration of their belief in him. Bradley earns Liverpool promotion Having worn 84 for the duration of his Liverpool first-team career thus far, Bradley has been given a stunning promotion. The club have now commenced their new, 10-year kit deal with Adidas and a raft of squad number changes have also been announced. Bradley will now wear the No12 - most recently worn by Joe Gomez and also made famous by another Champions League winner in Sami Hyypia.
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Colgate-Palmolive beats quarterly estimates on steady demand for essentials
-Colgate-Palmolive beat first-quarter sales and profit estimates on Friday, as resilient demand for its essentials such as oral and personal care products overcame rising prices and tariff uncertainties. WHY IT'S IMPORTANT Colgate-Palmolive joined peers such as Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark in posting upbeat sales growth, unlike the broader retail sector that has been struggling with a slowdown in discretionary spending. The Trump administration's shifting trade policies have forced several companies to hike prices, pushing shoppers to focus on essentials. CONTEXT Colgate has raised prices over the past few quarters to counter tariff impacts and higher advertising and marketing costs. The marketing campaigns have helped increase the sales. The company, which makes U.S. toothpaste in Mexico, now expects incremental costs from tariffs to be about $75 million, lower than $200 million projected earlier, as it expects more favorable rates. It also outlined a five-year cost cutting plan. BY THE NUMBERS Sales rose 8% in Africa and 7.8% in Europe from a year ago. The company expects organic sales growth to be at the low end of its forecast range of 2% to 4%. Its prices rose 2% in the quarter ended June 30 and total organic volumes slipped 0.2%, compared with a year ago. Colgate-Palmolive's adjusted profit of 92 cents per share in the first quarter topped analysts' estimates of 90 cents per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. It posted quarterly net sales of $5.11 billion, beating estimates of $5.03 billion. MARKET REACTION Shares of the company were flat in premarket trading. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Unleashes Massive Tariffs on Swiss Watches, Pharma Firms
(Bloomberg) — Switzerland's exporters, from watch makers to pharmaceutical companies, are bracing for the financial fallout from US President Donald Trump's 39% tariffs, one of the steepest rates globally in his escalating trade war. The World's Data Center Capital Has Residents Surrounded An Abandoned Art-Deco Landmark in Buffalo Awaits Revival We Should All Be Biking Along the Beach Budapest's Most Historic Site Gets a Controversial Rebuild San Francisco in Talks With Vanderbilt for Downtown Campus The levies slapped on Switzerland are part of a slew of new tariffs unveiled by Trump late Thursday as the US president forges ahead with his effort to reshape international commerce. The country exported $60.9 billion worth of goods to the US in 2024, according to the IMD Business School in Lausanne, making it one of the biggest US trading partners. Leading products included pharmaceuticals, watches, medical devices and Nestle SA's Nespresso coffee. With a national holiday in Switzerland on Friday, UK-traded Rolex reseller Watches of Switzerland Group Plc became a proxy for Swiss tariff woes, with its shares falling as much as 9.2% in London. Zurich-Listed timepiece makers such as Richemont and Swatch Group AG are also threatened by the move. Two other pillars of Swiss industry, pharmaceutical companies Novartis AG and Roche Holding AG, have also been hit by an additional tariff shock, even as they were among 17 of the world's largest drugmakers to receive letters from Trump insisting they immediately lower US pricing. The tariffs 'threaten Switzerland with enormous economic damage,' Interpharma, the association of drug research companies in the country, said. The US move affects research-based pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland, it said, calling on the local industry to 'urgently' improve its own framework to 'ensure that investments in research and development of innovative medicines are maintained.' Chocolate, Coffee Many other large Swiss companies studied the potential impact of the tariffs, with Nestle and chocolate maker Lindt saying they'll be mostly spared. Although it exports Nespresso to the US, Nestle said it makes more than 90% of the products it sells there locally. Lindt also produces mostly locally. But for watch makers — the country's most prized consumer export — the impending tariffs are likely to bring a long-lasting impact, even if they don't immediately rush to raise prices, said Christy Davis, founder of London-based Subdial, a watch dealer and trading platform. 'Swiss brands are coming to terms with the fact that the landscape has changed,' Davis said. The duties would come on top of a slump in global demand, rising metal costs and a strong Swiss franc that have hit timepiece makers hard — the US is the biggest market for Swiss watch exports. 'Severe Blow' Switzerland's luxury watch industry was already struggling before this 'severe blow' from Trump, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Deborah Aitken and Andrea Ferdinando Leggieri. Watches of Switzerland will inevitably come under revenue and earnings pressure while Richemont and Swatch will need mid-single-digit price increases, the analysts wrote in a note Friday. A spokesperson for the company said it will continue to work closely with brand partners to mitigate any potential impact. Swatch declined to comment, while Richemont didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Watches of Switzerland shares are down 22% over the past 12 months. Swiss watch exports had been hit in advance of the latest news, briefly surging in the spring as importers tried to get in ahead of the tariffs when Trump threatened a 31% levy, then easing on hopes of a settlement at a lower rate. Exports dropped by almost 10% in May, led by a slump in shipments to the US. The tariffs are the latest blow to the watch industry as demand for luxury has been declining with reduced appetite particularly in China, changing consumer trends and uncertainty from Trump's tariff wars. Sales of expensive timepieces have weakened since the post-pandemic boom ended and prices of used luxury watches surged. Swiss watch companies also struggled with high metals prices last year and a number of them turned to a government-backed furlough program called short-time work to help see them through. The industry has also been struggling with the strength of the Swiss franc. If the 39% tariff goes ahead, it could require price increases of more than 20% in the US, according to Jefferies analysts led by James Grzinic. There's also a possibility that the levies don't go into effect. 'The one-week hiatus until implementation suggests this could be a negotiating tactic,' he said in a note. —With assistance from Tim Loh, Jennifer Creery, Angelina Rascouet and Paula Doenecke. Russia Builds a New Web Around Kremlin's Handpicked Super App Everyone Loves to Hate Wind Power. Scotland Found a Way to Make It Pay Off It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan Cage-Free Eggs Are Booming in the US, Despite Cost and Trump's Efforts How Podcast-Obsessed Tech Investors Made a New Media Industry ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
