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SL Stadium developments

Perth Red

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Bradford Bulls chief executive Jason Hirst insists he is relaxed about his club’s IMG grading heading into the 2025 season. Bradford dropped two places in the rankings but managed to increase their IMG score marginally from 12.02 to 12.15.

The Championship club were still some way off the threshold to become Grade A, though, with three Championship sides, Toulouse Olympique, London Broncos and York, all being closer to Super League than the Bulls. However, the Bradford chief believes that his side will be in a position to rise up the rankings in just a few weeks, when a new directors’ box is completed at their home ground of Odsal.

Therefore, while the club only posted small gains, Hirst insists he is pleased with the club’s progress, with the potential for a big leap to be made in the next 12 months.

I’m relaxed and calm about it,” Hirst told the Telegraph and Argus. “Our score has gone up, when there are at least 13 teams in the top three divisions who’ve gone down.

“Why am I relaxed about it? Because we were never going to score enough to get into a 12-team Super League in 2025. It’s always been about the longer term for us, with next year being a critical one in terms of on-field, off-field and IMG for how we rank before the 2026 season.

“I also know for a fact that if we were to be scored again in five weeks’ time, we’d be scored an additional point to move up to 13.15, which would immediately move us from 16th to 14th.

“The reason I say that is because, for anyone who comes to Odsal regularly, they’ll have seen we’re building a new facility behind the main stand, which is a directors’ box with seating on the halfway line.
 

Perth Red

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One Super League side has revealed the extent of IMG points lost on account of their stadium and confirmed an ’emergency’ issue is arising.

Going forward, the composition of Super League will be based on the 12 teams with the highest grades with all scoring criteria set out in the IMG grading handbook

Clubs can score up to 20 points across five pillars; on-field performance (maximum five points), fandom (five), finances (4.5), stadium (three), and community (2.5).

Now Catalans Dragons have confirmed that they lost a whole point on their stadium with the French outfit being one of the biggest losers on the recent gradings.
Compared to the provisional scores in late 2023, Catalans lost 1.21 points which represented the third-largest drop of any team and the largest in Super League.
As such they moved from fourth in the provisional rankings to sixth and now the club’s general manager Sebastien Munoz has spoken on the issue.

As reported in French outlet L’Independant, Munoz confirmed that constructing a new stand at the Stade Gilbert Brutus is ‘becoming more than an emergency’.

Detailing the club’s drop from 16.73 to 15.52 points, Munoz explained: “We will have to be vigilant on certain points, in particular, the sports facilities and our stadium. The construction of the new stand is becoming more than an emergency.
“We have lost a point on our sports facilities and we can no longer afford to fall behind in this area because it could impact our ranking from next year during the new evaluation.”

Catalans aren’t the only Super League club who have had to focus on their stadium with the huge gains made by clubs such as Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers largely owed to their focus on improving their stadium.


Hull KR are the latest team hoping to improve their stadium with the Robins proposing an extension at Craven Park.

For Catalans, they will also look at their finances with Munoz confirming: ”In the coming weeks, a capital increase will take place in order to meet the requirements of IMG and to continue to structure the club to take on new challenges and play a leading role in the Super League in the years to come.”

 

Perth Red

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Super League Grand Finalists Hull KR have revealed plans for new community facilities and amenities as part of the regeneration of land around the Sewell Group Craven Park.

The club, which is committed to including communities, both on and off the field, secured the option to purchase the 15-acre site from Hull City Council in 2022.

The club's masterplan for the site aims to bring all areas of the community together, provide opportunities for them, and reduce health inequalities.
Hull KR intend to provide fair access to health and wellbeing activities for communities across East Hull and beyond.

The plans also include a number of key amenities for community use, alongside complementary retail and an enhanced fan experience for matchdays. This will include public, green space, which will be woven throughout the scheme.

Hull KR chief executive Paul Lakin said: "We're delighted to be able to share our vision for our emerging masterplan for land around the Sewell Group Craven Park Stadium.

"We're at the start of a journey. However, our ambition is to create a place that puts inclusivity, health and wellbeing, and amenity at the heart of our proposals.

"Hull KR is an inclusive club that prides itself on working collaboratively with the community. With that in mind, we're looking forward to launching a public consultation exercise in the new year, where we will be encouraging all areas of the community to come together, and share their views on what will be a truly place-enhancing project."

 
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yakstorm

First Grade
Messages
6,071
One Super League side has revealed the extent of IMG points lost on account of their stadium and confirmed an ’emergency’ issue is arising.

Going forward, the composition of Super League will be based on the 12 teams with the highest grades with all scoring criteria set out in the IMG grading handbook

Clubs can score up to 20 points across five pillars; on-field performance (maximum five points), fandom (five), finances (4.5), stadium (three), and community (2.5).

Now Catalans Dragons have confirmed that they lost a whole point on their stadium with the French outfit being one of the biggest losers on the recent gradings.
Compared to the provisional scores in late 2023, Catalans lost 1.21 points which represented the third-largest drop of any team and the largest in Super League.
As such they moved from fourth in the provisional rankings to sixth and now the club’s general manager Sebastien Munoz has spoken on the issue.

As reported in French outlet L’Independant, Munoz confirmed that constructing a new stand at the Stade Gilbert Brutus is ‘becoming more than an emergency’.

Detailing the club’s drop from 16.73 to 15.52 points, Munoz explained: “We will have to be vigilant on certain points, in particular, the sports facilities and our stadium. The construction of the new stand is becoming more than an emergency.
“We have lost a point on our sports facilities and we can no longer afford to fall behind in this area because it could impact our ranking from next year during the new evaluation.”

Catalans aren’t the only Super League club who have had to focus on their stadium with the huge gains made by clubs such as Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers largely owed to their focus on improving their stadium.


Hull KR are the latest team hoping to improve their stadium with the Robins proposing an extension at Craven Park.

For Catalans, they will also look at their finances with Munoz confirming: ”In the coming weeks, a capital increase will take place in order to meet the requirements of IMG and to continue to structure the club to take on new challenges and play a leading role in the Super League in the years to come.”

Maybe I'm missing it, but why did Catalans lose a whole point for their stadium? What changed between 2023 - 2024 that saw them penalised?
 

Wb1234

Immortal
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34,326
Making it open to the community gets access to govt funding

Hull kr have been smart how they have funded the ground improvements especially that new stand near the entrance
 

Wb1234

Immortal
Messages
34,326

That new stand is tidy

Shame they got screwed over by the developer who promised to build them a new ground

And council should’ve got more money out of him since he made lots from the development
 

Perth Red

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Work to begin on Catalans new stand in September next year

The club are looking at taking games on the road during construction including to Paris
I'll probably be over there during 2026, I hope they take the HKR game to Barcelona!
 

Perth Red

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69,869

How those twin towers weren’t heritage listed and included in the new stadium I will never know
Absolute travesty, seeing the towers from the train was the first jolt of excitement before walking Up Wembley way. A massive piece of sports heritage lost to save a few quid.

as for the question, think it was probably the 1997 plate cup final when HKR beat Hunslet. Remember sitting on the grass outside for ages as we were locked out due to a bomb scare! Stanley Gene scored a hat trick.
 

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