Every professional club was given a score based on five pillars - fandom, finance, stadium, community and on-field performance - with 15 points needed for an A grade, guaranteeing a place in Betfred Super League next year. Nine clubs reached that threshold and the next three highest scorers will also play in the elite competition during 2026.
Two more clubs will be selected by a panel based on an application process. Fifteen clubs were graded B and nine are C-rated. Keighley Cougars and Newcastle Thunder weren’t given a score after failing to meet the deadline for submitting the necessary information. The RFL say they will “work with those clubs to assess what their score and ranking would have been should it be relevant in terms of their share of central distributions”.
Salford Red Devils, who dropped out to the top-12, are one of three clubs, alongside Featherstone Rovers and Halifax Panthers, who are the subject of HMRC petitions, which could affect their finance score for 2026 should the petitions be confirmed.
Here’s how every club in the professional structure scored and their grade.
