Wakefield top as all 14 Super League clubs retained for 2027
All 14 Super League clubs will remain in the competition for 2027 after the IMG-based annual club gradings were released on 8 October 2026. Wakefield Trinity top the ratings following their Super League Grand Final success.
London Broncos lost only one match in 2026 and won three trophies — the Championship Grand Final, the 1895 Cup and the regular-season title — but they will not play in Super League next year. Despite backing from Australian businessman Grant Wechsel, former Brisbane Broncos star Darren Lockyer and a squad described as full of internationals, London finished 16th in the gradings, below fellow Championship side Barrow Raiders.
Wakefield have come top of the ratings for the first time, matching 2025 champions Hull KR's record grading score of 17.85 from 12 months ago. The gradings are calculated using five factors: fan experience, finance, stadium, community and on-field performance. In last year’s rankings Wakefield were eighth with a mark of 15.47, only just above the threshold for Category A status. "Wakefield Trinity's rise to the top of the 2026 club grading rankings is a fascinating story for rugby league, and a strong example of how sustained progress on and off the field can be recognised through the grading framework," said RFL chief executive Ian Nolan. "Their achievement sits alongside encouraging movement across the sport, from growing attendances and digital audiences to continued improvements in facilities and community delivery."
Leeds Rhinos remain second with a score of 17.03, a fraction lower than their 2025 figure. Warrington Wolves have moved from sixth to third after a stronger season that culminated in reaching the Grand Final at Old Trafford, where they lost to Wakefield. Wigan Warriors are fourth again after winning both the Challenge Cup and the League Leaders' Shield, sitting just above Hull KR and Leigh Leopards in the rankings.
St Helens have fallen from third to seventh following a season in which they missed out on the play-offs for the first time in the Super League era. Castleford Tigers have risen from 11th in 2025 to eighth and now complete the Category A clubs, despite finishing 13th in Super League. Catalans Dragons and Hull FC occupy ninth and 10th respectively, with both clubs dropping from an A to a B grade.
Bradford Bulls and Huddersfield Giants follow next in the list, while the two newcomers to the league in 2026, Toulouse Olympique and York Knights, are 13th and 14th with higher scores than last year. Only six of the 14 Super League clubs scored higher than they did 12 months earlier. York recorded 13.24, comfortably ahead of the next best outside the 14, Barrow on 9.85, while London managed 9.77, down from 11.65 the previous year. Overall, 26 clubs were graded on this system, split into three categories, A, B and C, and Wakefield have now completed two consecutive seasons in Super League following promotion in 2024.
The published gradings (club — score) placed Wakefield Trinity on 17.85; Leeds Rhinos on 17.03; Wigan Warriors on 16.46; Hull KR on 16.45; Leigh Leopards on 16.31; St Helens on 15.59; Catalans Dragons on 14.83; Hull FC on 14.72; Bradford Bulls on 13.93; Huddersfield Giants on 13.50; Toulouse Olympique on 13.44; York Knights on 13.24; Barrow Raiders on 9.85; and London Broncos on 9.77.