Super League to add an extra team for 2027
Super League clubs have voted for one extra team to join the competition in time for next season
Super League will increase from 14 to 15 clubs for 2027 after a shareholders' meeting on Wednesday gave the green light.
The decision has now been passed on to the Rugby Football League Board for ratification, but there are not expected to be any issues.
"A recommendation will be made in due course," read a statement on the Super League website.
Two other resolutions were voted on regarding amendments to the Super League salary cap and financial sustainability regulations.
"Super League Europe agreed to the first amendment, relating to injured player dispensation, which removes players who suffer an injury or illness that results in missing eight consecutive salary cap relevant matches from that club's salary cap for the period they are injured," continued the statement.
"Once the player returns, even if he becomes re-injured, no further dispensation will be available unless he misses a further eight consecutive salary cap relevant matches.
"It is designed to ensure that clubs have an opportunity – from a regulatory perspective – to bring in a replacement player where a player suffers a long-term injury/illness whilst not increasing player welfare issues, such as forcing younger players not on cap eligible and not ready, to have to play.
"It also approved a new regulation – a young player dispensation designed to enable clubs to trial younger players in 2027 in Super League or allow them to cover injury issues without significantly placing pressure on a club's salary cap.
"It is designed to only be available for players aged 23 or under on January 1 of the season in which they play and those players must not have played any salary cap relevant match for any club in a previous season.
"Under the proposal, the player may play two salary cap relevant matches without counting on a club's salary cap.
"If they play between three and five, they would count on the cap at 50% of their salary cap value. Any further match appearances would result in the player counting at the full value on the cap."