Leigh Centurions has been successful in its application to be the 12th Betfred Super League club in 2021 after an announcement live on Sky Sports by the chair of the Panel Lord Jonathan Caine
Club Owner Derek Beaumont said: “I would like to thank Lord Jonathan Caine and the six members of the panel for their dedication to this process and the robust manner in which they have approached this. I always had complete faith that they would provide a fair and independent review with the best interests of the sport their sole objective.
“I would also like to express my condolences to the five other clubs who have been unsuccessful and spare a thought for how that must feel after the dedication and commitment they have all shown in making their own applications. It’s a shame only one club could be successful, but I have no doubt it will have been a positive experience undergoing the process as it has been for our club. One thing the process has clearly demonstrated is just what quality exists within the Betfred Championship and how competitive it will be next year.”
“I would like to dedicate this fantastic success to our loyal sponsors and season ticket holders who showed outstanding loyalty to the club by returning their refunds of their purchases as donations to the playing budget. This enabled us to have already put in place a fantastic squad prior to the announcement of the opportunity to apply for the 12th place in Super League and I believe played a significant part in the decision process.
Mr Beaumont added: “The biggest single factor in the success of the application was the unique team effort of the operational board and all departments of the club and its partners, pulling together tirelessly with a united approach and ‘can do, will do’ mentality to deliver the various components that made up the 430-page document that will no doubt become a historical document looked back on over many years. I would like to pay particular respect to Neil Jukes for his managing of collating the information and implementing the planned structure towards achieving this.
The process to invite a 12th team to play in 2021 began on November 2 after the rejection of Toronto Wolfpack’s application to return to the competition following their withdrawal from the 2020 season.
