Mayor Paul Dennett has held a meeting with the Rugby Football League to ask that Salford Red Devils be allowed to enter the Championship following their relegation from the Super League.
After a season beset by crisis on and off the field, it was confirmed that Salford had lost their Super League status for 2026 as they finished 15th in this year’s IMG rankings.
It was inevitable that Salford would fail to retain their 12th-place grading from the previous year, as the rankings were based on a set of criteria including fan engagement, on-field performance, stadium facilities, community impact, and financial stability.
A season marred by financial difficulties before and after the takeover of businessman Dario Berta’s consortium, where Salford finished bottom of the Super League, were docked points for breaching operational rules and failed to fulfil a fixture against Wakefield, has raised concerns that the club might not be granted entry into the new-look Championship.
And with the outcome of a twice adjourned HMRC hearing set to be discovered on 29 October, Salford Mayor Dennett and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have met with the RFL to make the case for a Salford team – in its current incarnation or reborn phoenix outfit – to be allowed to compete in the second-tier.
After the meeting, Dennett expressed his sadness about the club’s relegation, but assured Salford supporters that he is working hard to ensure the club has a secure and sustainable future.
“Like so many supporters across our city, we are hugely disappointed that Salford Red Devils will not be playing Super League rugby next season, for the first time in 17 years,” he said.
“This is a painful moment for fans, players and staff, and for a club that is woven into the fabric of Salford’s history and identity.
“While this news is not unexpected given the club’s documented challenges off the field, it doesn’t make it easier. Yet the heroic displays on the field, particularly as the season reached its climax, reminded us all of the spirit that defines this great club and provides hope for what can come next.
“Relegation is not the end of the Salford Red Devils. This club has persevered for more than 150 years and remains a beloved part of our community. As City Mayor, I will continue to work tirelessly with the club and partners in the city to ensure the Salford Red Devils have a secure and sustainable future.
“Rugby League is part of who we are as a city. And the Salford Red Devils will continue to be a part of that story.”
The Championship and League One will be combined into an expanded 21-team league next season and if Salford are to be admitted, they will face local rivals Swinton Lions.
Burnham, formerly a president of the RFL and a previous honorary chairman of Leigh Leopards, said: “The club is too important to its fans but also all of us and anyone who cares about rugby league.
“Myself and the Mayor of Salford Paul Dennett have made the case for the club to start in the Championship, the league below.
“There is a situation going on with the current owners, but there is a path for Salford Red Devils to play in the Championship at the Salford Community Stadium.
Salford Council acquired the Salford Community Stadium last December as they bought developer Peel Land’s 50 per cent shareholding in a deal worth £7.7 million. Burnham noted that the decision should protect a Salford-based club’s access to the ground.
“Because the council owns the stadium, it’s the council who decide who plays there.
“The council are ready to back a reborn Salford Red Devils in the Championship at the Salford Community Stadium, and we have put that case to the RFL.
“We will do everything to make sure the club comes back.”
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