| It has been well documented over years gone | | | | manner, and without the fear of dropping into |
| by, how English athletes are consistently | | | | a lower league it is thought teams are less |
| finishing second best to their corresponding | | | | likely to opt for short-term solutions |
| Australian competitors, whether it be in | | | | involving the recruitment of veteran overseas |
| Cricket, Athletics, or Rugby League. It is | | | | players. Another motivating factor for |
| very likely that an Australian would even | | | | ditching relegation is to protect promoted |
| tell you that their international Rugby Union | | | | clubs that may not be financially equipped |
| team is superior, despite England showing | | | | for survival in the top flight � there |
| more steel in the past two World Cup | | | | is a significant difference between what |
| encounters between the countries! Regardless | | | | Super League and League One players command |
| of this, the national Rugby League team in | | | | for wages. A prime example of this happened |
| Australia are unarguably the best team in the | | | | recently when Widness, who spent two seasons |
| world, and many people put this down to the | | | | in the Super League following promotion, were |
| highly competitive domestic league set up | | | | relegated after their third season which then |
| (The NRL) which is contested by the same 14 | | | | resulted in the club falling into |
| club teams year on year � No team gets | | | | administration. |
| relegated, and no clubs are granted promotion | | | | |
| from the lower leagues. Other people may | | | | On the flipside, relegation instigates |
| suggest it is attributable to the fact that | | | | enormous tension and drama amongst both fans |
| Aussie school kids are force fed sport and | | | | and players which brings additional |
| are taught to appreciate the benefits of | | | | excitement to the game. It will literally |
| athleticism from an early age. | | | | half the overall number of sports betting |
| | | | odds available for the Super League, because |
| The English RFL believe the gap exists | | | | betting on who will be relegated is almost as |
| between the two countries at international | | | | popular as gambling on the eventual winner, |
| level due to the lack of home-grown talent, | | | | particularly for fans of those clubs |
| and now they are of the opinion that | | | | competing in the lower half of the table. |
| mimicking the Aussie Rugby League set up is | | | | Scrapping relegation allows unambitious clubs |
| what�s required to diminish the | | | | competing ever year in Super League could |
| disparity, meaning after twenty-eight rounds | | | | just coast along safe in the knowledge that |
| of the 2008 Super League, who-ever finishes | | | | T.V and Ticket money is there to be collected |
| bottom will not spend all of the next season | | | | week in week out. It also denies those clubs |
| attempting to break back into the elite. | | | | in the lower leagues, whose ultimate goal |
| Instead, the RFL propose that any club | | | | would be to break into the top flight, the |
| wishing to compete in Super League during | | | | right to realise their dream. Finally, it |
| 2009 must complete a written application by | | | | just seams like the right way to do things! A |
| March 2008. The outcome of the application is | | | | team which cannot display the necessary |
| to be determined on criteria such as | | | | qualities to be competitive within the league |
| facilities, finance, junior development and | | | | shouldn�t be there. |
| fan base. It is more than likely all existing | | | | |
| Super League clubs will apply and, after | | | | British rugby league betting fans have always |
| rumours the league is about to expand to 14 | | | | had the right to predict which teams will or |
| teams, Widness, Salford, the Celtic | | | | will not avoid dropping into lower leagues. |
| Crusaders, and French outfit Toulouse, are | | | | From this day forward fans of the thirteen |
| expected to put forward applications. | | | | man game will no longer be able to place bets |
| | | | on who will be relegated, and it is very |
| The main rationale behind scrapping | | | | likely this will result in a declining |
| relegation is that it would allow clubs to | | | | interest in rugby betting and online rugby |
| develop young players in a more controlled | | | | betting. |