Over the years I had written about some of the the ridiculous “sponsorship” deals that have been signed in British Rugby League. From the RFL negotiating to get officials the use of free cars under the guise of “development sponsorship” to the famous Stobart deal which saw Super League give away its title sponsorship for free in exchange for stickers on the side of a dozen trucks.
Now Super League has hit a new low, announcing that it had done a deal with a pizza chain in the UK to get free pizza for players and officials in exchange for having that pizza chain features on advertising signage.
At first the deal was said to be for £1 million per season. Laughable. The press releases said that the pizza chain was going to profile “catering” for players after matches….as though Super League is just one giant Under 7’s competition where everyone has a pizza party after matches.
It has merged that the deal includes no money at all.
Super League has literally given away advertising at all Super League games for free pizza….
At a time when the game in the UK is bleeding money, teams decided against playing games in a revised Championship because they’d lose too much money, and the Toronto Wolfpack withdraw from the 2020 Super League season after not paying players and staff for months, the suits at Super League gave away advertising for free pizza and garlic bread!
That is absolutely outrageous!
What chance does Rugby League in Great Britain have with administrators in place who are using the game to get a free feed? While players have unable to pay their bills because they are not getting paid the disgusting pigs that run Super League make sure they never lose a single pound while they do deals to shovel pizza into themselves thanks to the game.
The disgusting pigs that run Super League literally did a “sponsorship” deal to get free pizzas with no money.
What a bunch of fools. Maybe they can send the garlic bread to @TOwolfpack players who haven’t been paid…#RugbyLeague #NRL #RFL #SuperLeague #IntRL #Rugby
— League Freak (@LeagueFreak) August 24, 2020
This of course completely devalues sponsorship across the game in Great Britain at every single level. If the top level of the sport is giving away advertising for a couple of Hawaiian pizzas, what chance does a struggle club have of convincing a sponsor to give them a decent deal.
Super League clubs should be up in arms about this, but they won’t be. As we saw recently with the Toronto Wolfpack, Super League clubs are driven by self interest. As long as they are not dying today, everything is sweet.
I have said on Twitter a number of times that I believe Super League players should have gone on strike in the aftermath of the Toronto Wolfpack collapse. Players have been left out of pocket dozens of times in recent years thanks to clubs not paying player salaries.
As players are forced to lose money and go without, the literal fat cats at the top of Super League make deals off their back of their hard work to get themselves free pizza. What a disgrace.
Rugby League in Great Britain is at its lowest point in its entire history right now. The game in the UK is on its last legs, and if something isn’t done to modernise the administration of the game and of clubs soon, Rugby League will slip back to a semi professional competition and eventually, amateurism.
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