Leigh Leopards Again Achieve Grade A Status in IMG Grading Process With a Significantly Increased Score

Leigh Leopards are delighted to confirm that the Club has retained Grade A status in the RFL and IMG grading process with a significantly improved score, thus securing our status in the Betfred Super League for the 2026 season. 

The Club achieved 16.33 points out of a possible 20, compared to 15.13 last year and are ranked fifth overall.

Leigh Leopards chairman Mike Latham said: “Four years ago I remember attending the Super League meeting in Huddersfield. Our club had just been relegated after the pandemic-hit season of 2021 to be replaced by Toulouse, and I felt it was one of the blackest days in our history.

“From there the growth of our club has been incredible. As the country emerged from the pandemic, Derek embarked on an ambitious and brilliant thought-out plan to ensure the club’s future. He invested in a Super League ready squad of players for the Championship season and recruited a top head coach in Adrian Lam who then built an impressive backroom staff.

“The club enjoyed a record-breaking year in 2022 and won promotion back to Super League. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind, the successful rebrand as the Leopards, the Challenge Cup win of 2023 and three successive play-off places. To be ranked as the third best performing club over the past three years is an incredible achievement for a recently promoted club when you consider many of the clubs have had 30 years of Super League and central funding.

“Behind it all, though, was the importance of the IMG grading which consumed our thoughts and effectively decided the club’s future irrespective of on-field success. The grading is based on a three-year average and it’s desperately hard to achieve a Grade A status with one or more Championship years in the equation. 

“In the IMG test year of 2023, we got 12.45 points and knew we had to boost that for the first year of the process in 2024. We achieved 15.13pts which was a major milestone, giving us Grade A status. This year we have increased that to 16.33pts and just missed out on a couple of pillars which would have taken us over the 17-mark. We should achieve those next year.

“When you consider that one point of the 20 is allocated to the champions and cup winners, it’s effectively marked out of 19. Despite our tremendous team performances, we got 3.77pts for Performance yet 4.25 for Finance, 4.15 for Fandom. This demonstrates just how important it is to build a sustainable and stable club, something that thanks to Derek we have achieved. Without him we’d be nowhere near Super League.

“The growth of our sponsorship portfolio, our fan base especially through the membership scheme and the tremendous overall support of our many stakeholders cannot be understated. Our fantastic stadium and community departments underpin the club’s infrastructure. The vital role of our media department in increasing total social media followings and engagements year on year is reflected in that vital pillar score.

“We have again been fully transparent in publishing our individually broken-down pillars of our score, something I think all clubs should have to do. That information should be presented by each club to gain increased trust in the IMG process throughout the game.

“I’ve been involved as a practicing accountant for over 40 years and in all that time have never experienced such a detailed, intricate and painstaking process as this one. Every percentage point is vital; every aspect must be exhaustively analysed. We are a heavily regulated sport and the amount of time that is imposed on club officials, many volunteers, is quite incredible. I’d particularly like to thank CEO Neil Jukes and COO Steve Kerr for their vital work alongside Derek in achieving this score.

“Today is a day to deservedly celebrate with our officials, staff, sponsors, players and supporters alike that we get another opportunity to compete at the highest level again next year and have another chance to achieve our dreams. Leopards are on an upward curve, and we enjoy the best years of our lives watching our beloved team and making such a difference to the mental health and pride of our community, spreading joy and happiness in uncertain times.

“Finally, I’d like to congratulate the other clubs including the new admissions that compete in Super League in 2026 as we look forward to another year watching the Greatest Game of All.”

IMG’s grading process evaluates clubs across five main pillars: on-field performance, fandom, community engagement, financial health, and facilities. Achieving a score of 15, based on three years of data, secures Grade A status.

The grading score reflects our continued growth as a club as we have been the third ranked team in terms of performance over the past three seasons with marked increases in our fanbase and financial stability. 

Our success is down to all our stakeholders, staff, players and supporters and would not have been possible with the continued all-round commitment of our owner Derek Beaumont.

Leigh Leopards remain determined to challenge at the highest level of the sport while maintaining an inclusive and engaging experience for our supporters and the local community. 

We will continue to work together and strive for excellence in all areas to reinforce our position as a key player in the Betfred Super League. 

The infrastructure of the club has increased significantly and from having one team three years ago we now have a Reserves team, Women’s Super League team, Academy and Scholarship programme, as well as LDRL and Wheelchair teams. 

We have continued to invest in the matchday experience and were delighted to see that the Leopards Den was voted the most popular Super League ground for away supporters in a recent fans’ internet poll.

Members of the Operational Board worked tirelessly to examine every aspect of the grading process in intricate detail to ensure the highest possible mark.

We feel that it is only right, in the interests of transparency, that our stakeholders are aware of the individual pillar scores, and these are detailed in the table below: