Rugby league's top-tier Super League has formally received an investment proposal from the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC), the body behind the National Rugby League (NRL) in that country.
The Super League – made up of 14 clubs split between England and France – has been in discussions with the 17-team NRL and the ARLC since 2025 around potential investment opportunities.
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Rugby League Commercial – the body established by the league with the heavyweight IMG agency – has simply said that the 14 teams have now been informed of the offer, and that details "remain confidential."
Andrew Abdo, NRL chief executive at that point (now in charge at Tennis Australia), came over to the UK in April for talks around a potential stake sale.
Now, it has been reported by various media outlets that Peter V'landys, chair of the ARLC, is leading the talks.
Back in April, Abdo told Sky Sports: "While the game is growing really well in the southern hemisphere, we also want the game to be strong here in the north.
"This is about a partnership where we can collaborate on how we can grow the game, how we can grow revenues and how can those revenues be pumped back into the game?
"That's pretty nuanced, and that's something we have to develop together."
Rhodri Jones, managing director of RL Commercial, said at the same time: "They [the NRL] would like to have a heavy influence on the commission and who sits on that commission. What they perhaps haven't understood in totality is the make up of our governance structure in this country.
"We have multiple organisations in RFL, Super League, and RL Commercial. When it is such a big topic like recapitalisation, it is complex."
The 2026 Super League season got underway on February 12, and will come to an end with the Grand Final in Manchester on October 3. Of the 14 sides, 12 are from Northern England, with the other two representing Southern France.
On the subject of rugby league's overall growth, V'landys confirmed earlier this week that plans for a ‘Global Round’ of international fixtures outside of the competition’s home markets are in place for beyond 2026.
Currently, the league stages two games per year in Las Vegas, US, as part of its internationalization efforts, committing to play games at the city’s Allegiant Stadium each season through 2028.
Now, V’Landys has revealed that plans are in place to add additional international games in other global markets alongside Las Vegas as soon as 2027, but more likely in 2028, in an effort to create a “Global Round” of out-of-market games.
