By JOHN DAVIDSON
Former RFL chairman Simon Johnson has commented on his departure from the governing body as part of a boardroom coup in UK rugby league.
Johnson was forced out and resigned on March 11.
The ex-chair has conducted a long-ranging interview with Forty20 magazine’s April issue. In it he gave his take on the coup, the in-fighting that has taken over the sport and his own tenure at the RFL.
“The biggest thing I said to people then [when he joined the RFL in 2014] was the sport had a chip on its shoulder, “Johnson said.
“That could be whether we were a national sport, about rugby union, we didn’t have enough money or attention from government.
“The chips are different now, but they are undoubtedly still there. Rugby league is well-respected, and it certainly was by the government and Sport England, until this episode.
“We embody the best of the northern economy and community, but I still think clubs in the Championship have a chippy mindset about Super League; as those in Super League have about the NRL.”
Johnson, who has been criticised by the likes of Leigh’s Derek Beaumont and Batley’s Kevin Nicholas, spoke about how the narrative of the success of Las Vegas was quickly dominated by the coup and mass resignations at the RFL.
“Then we came back [from Vegas] and were faced with a discussion that went from ‘how do we promote the top of Super League to get more visibility and revenue,’ to one of ‘how do we get a club from the Championship to be promoted to the top flight’,” he said.
“That is backward thinking, internal, negative – the contrast could not have been greater… I love the Championship and League 1. Those clubs represent the sport’s heritage and there are some great names and grounds – some of the coverage on Premier Sports was the best we’ve had.
“It was witty and celebrated what we are, but it isn’t where the revenue growth is going to come from.
“That’s the top of Super League, the international scene and certain sectors of the community game. That’s what brands and broadcasters want to invest in and cover.”
To read the full interview, buy the April issue of Forty20 magazine here.
