Super League clubs vote to expand competition to 15 teams for 2027 season with London Broncos favourites for inclusion
Super League clubs have voted to expand competition to 15 teams for the 2027 season; Championship side London Broncos are favourites for inclusion; the league also voted in favour of two salary cap amendments that allow clubs more flexibility with young players and injuries
Wednesday 11 November 2026 11:35, UK
The Super League has announced that its 14 clubs have voted in favour of a motion to expand to 15 teams for the 2027 season.
"Super League (Europe) Ltd has today held a shareholders' meeting to determine how many clubs will take part in the competition in 2027," a statement from the league read.
"Having agreed in favour of moving from 14 to 15 clubs, SLE has passed their decision on to the Rugby Football League Board.
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"The RFL Board will now set out criteria and assemble a panel to run the process to judge against it.
"A recommendation will be made in due course."
It is understood that clubs will now be invited to apply to be the 15th team in the competition.
London Broncos, who have made no secret of their desire to be in the top flight, completed the treble in 2026 during a brilliant season for them in the Championship.
They are expected to apply to be the next club in Super league. It is not yet known if any other clubs will join the process.
After London went back down to the Championship, they were took over by an ownership group including NRL and Brisbane Broncos legend Darren Lockyer.
Super League clubs approve salary cap amendments
Clubs also voted in favour of two amendments to the league's salary cap regulations that allow clubs more flexibility with young players and injuries.
The first allows teams to claim salary cap dispensation if a player is injured for over eight cap-relevant matches, allowing clubs to sign a replacement player for the period.
It also forbids teams from claiming further salary cap dispensation should a player who was already exempt from salary cap implications becomes re-injured later in the season, unless he missed a further eight matches which affect the salary cap.
The second allows teams to feature a young player aged 23 and under - who has not previously played in any salary capped games - in two matches without triggering an increase in a club's salary cap spending, with that figure increasing to 50% should they play between three and five matches.
Should the player feature in more than five matches, the full amount of their salary will be applied to the cap.
