Crusaders and Salford get the nod to contest new-look Super League
Rugby Football League chief Richard Lewis admitted selecting licenses for the new-look Super League was a “difficult decision” after several top clubs missed out.
All 12 of the existing Super League clubs retained their place in the 14-club top-flight, joined by National Leaguers Salford City Reds and Celtic Crusaders.
Licenses run until 2011, with no relegation during that period. But missing out on a place were French champions Toulouse, along with National League clubs Widnes, Featherstone, Halifax and Leigh.
“It was a difficult decision,” said Lewis, the RFL executive chairman. “There were 19 good applications but in the end there are going to be five disappointed clubs.”
A five-man RFL panel assessed the applications on a criteria which included stadium facilities, finance and business performance, commerce and marketing and squad strength, including junior development programmes.
