Queensland rugby league royalty has officially taken charge of the London Broncos with the view of steering the club into the Super League.
In a statement, the UK organisation said they had formally applied to join the RFL’s Super League in 2026 with a new ownership group consisting of “rugby league legend Darren Lockyer, successful businessman Grant Wechsel and Gary Hetherington”.
The London club stated the new owners and changes in governance would provide the Club with the capital, commitment, credibility and capability that were required to be a competitive force in the top-tier competition.
Mr Wechsel said they had undertaken a root-and-branch review of all operational aspects of the Club and would be recalibrating the Club across all operational disciplines to achieve excellence.
“We want the London Broncos to be the standard bearer for the Super League. That’s our commitment to the governing body, London Broncos fans, and the rugby league community,” he said.
Mr Lockyer said a successful London club would help the Super League achieve maximum growth and potential.
“To be a truly national competition and to grow the game’s exposure, finances and talent pool, the game should be represented in the nation’s capital, and the largest financial market in the world,” he said.
“London is the largest greenfield market for rugby league growth; if anchored by a strong and sustainable club, the benefits to rugby league could be huge.”
The London Broncos also confirmed a three-year pre-commitment from successful NRL and Super League Head Coach Jason Demetriou who had agreed to a “long-term arrangement to help implement new winning systems, curricula and culture in the Club”.
“The Broncos are in the process of securing pre-commitments from leading NRL players, including several internationals, that would comprise up to half the run-on team,” it stated.
