London Broncos Head Coach Slams IMG’s Catchment Area Calculations
London, [Current Date] – In a recent interview with Sky Sports’ The Verdict, London Broncos head coach Mike Eccles publicly criticized IMG, the organization tasked with grading teams in Britain’s three national rugby league divisions, particularly over their methodology for calculating catchment areas.
Eccles expressed his frustration that despite London being one of the biggest cities in Europe and the Broncos being the only club in the south of England, the team was not awarded maximum points for their catchment area. According to IMG’s calculations, the club’s catchment only encompasses the Borough of Merton, even though their home ground, Plough Lane, is situated on the outskirts of Merton and within a short distance from Wandsworth, where a significant number of the club’s supporters reside.
“We have the biggest catchment in, probably, world rugby. We’re not given the maximum points for that,” Eccles said. “There are things we could improve on Jenna, absolutely we’re up for that challenge, but to have those things taken away, I think that’s really poor.”
Eccles believes that the criteria used by IMG, which is based on the club’s performance over the past three years, is unfair, as it fails to consider the Broncos’ long-standing history in the Super League competition and their ability to produce talented players, such as England and Catalans Dragons star Mike McMeeken and his England teammate Kai Pearce-Paul, who currently plays in the NRL.
“London Broncos have taken part in 22 out of the 29 years of Super League since its rebranding. They’ve also produced plenty of talent,” Eccles added. “It’s done everything that’s ever been asked of London Broncos, it’s just never been done at a single time.”
Eccles emphasized the importance of London Broncos to the growth of rugby league, stating that the sport “needs a strong London” and that a more collaborative approach is required to ensure the team’s long-term success.
“The challenge is, for the game, how we pull that together and make that happen right now,” he concluded.
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