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It’s just three months until we find out which 14 clubs are in Super League in 2027 through the IMG gradings: and there are some aspects of the system that can begin to be laid out.
It is impossible at this stage to work out any club’s definitive and final score due to the fact many aspects of the gradings have either not been determined yet, or they are confidential and private.
But one area of interest that can be mapped out is the 2.50 points that’s on offer for a club’s average attendance over the last two seasons.
And this year, some notable Super League clubs are either jumping up – or on the verge of jumping up, too.
The thresholds
Unlike a lot of other aspects of the gradings this year, the attendance criteria hasn’t changed much at all – meaning clubs have the same targets to hit compared to last year.
The only tweak is that your points allocation is based on your last two seasons’ worth of regular season matches (play-offs do not count). So that means:
- 2025 and 2026 average attendance over 7,500: 2.50 points
- 2025 and 2026 average attendance over 3,000: 2.00 points
- 2025 and 2026 average attendance over 1,500: 1.50 points
- 2025 and 2026 average attendance under 1,500: 0.75 points
The obvious unchanged 2.50 points clubs
As you’d expect with Super League crowds being so high in recent years, there are a lot of clubs who scored the maximum 2.50 points last year by virtue of their crowds being in excess of 7,500 over the qualifying period of the last two seasons: and they will do so again.
Inevitably, that list includes the big six: Wigan Warriors, Leeds Rhinos, St Helens, Hull FC, Hull KR and Warrington Wolves are all averaging over 10,000 – let alone 7,500 – over 2025 and 2026 so have no concerns here.
Leigh Leopards and Catalans Dragons are still in the top scorers too for this bracket, and they will once again claim 2.50 points in the fandom aspect unless there are any dramatic late changes.
So that’s eight of the 14 clubs getting top marks – what of the other six?
The one big positive mover
Once club we can say with some certainty will get a bump of 0.50 points this year is one of Super League’s most progressive clubs: Wakefield Trinity.
They undoubtedly benefit from crowds switching from a three-year average to a two-year data set this time around, as it eradicates their one season in the Championship in 2024.
That means we can take their league average of 7,788 from last year and their 2026 figure – which currently stands at a whopping 8,263 – and say with some confidence they will pass through the 7,500 average for the first time.
That means they jump up and get an extra 0.50 points.
Castleford could make the jump yet
Castleford Tigers lost points in this aspect last year, with a seasonal average of 6,844 added to their rolling three-year total at the end of 2025 bumping them down from 2.50 points to 2.00. It was a significant drop, as it influenced them losing Grade A status.
This year, their crowds have gone up, back to 7,922 at the time of writing. But those two years’ worth of crowds aren’t enough to pass through 7,500; it leaves them agonisingly short, at 7,383.
That means if the Tigers really get a good buy-in across their remaining home games, they could get to the magic 7,500. But they’re not there yet and as it stands right now, will get 2.00 points, not 2.50.
The newly-promoted clubs
Bradford Bulls‘ crowds have gone up by an absolutely huge amount this year – credit must go to the Bulls for how they have delivered strong returns and Super League value off the field, as well as on it.
But they will still sit in the second bracket and claim 2.00 points, owing to their Championship average last year being recorded at 3,355. This year, they’re on a very impressive 8,797 – but that’s still some way short of resulting in an average of 7,500 over the last two seasons.
This time next year however, you would expect the Bulls will be moving up a bracket.
Championship average attendances are difficult to fully pin down – there’s no reference to what York Knights attracted last year. But we can say with some confidence that their average of 5,831 this time around will give them a great chance of moving their two-season average above 3,00: which would elevate them from 1.50 points to 2.00.
That is one story well worth following – it could be absolutely enormous come the end of the season, with York perceived to be in some jeopardy on the gradings.
Toulouse are likely to remain in the 2.00 bracket.
And what of Huddersfield?
Huddersfield Giants have been adamant that they will be fine and under no danger when it comes to the gradings system – and their attendance score is set to be unmoved.
They average around 4,500 across each of the last two seasons, which means a likely stick at 2.00 points.
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