By Canadian Press

Newcastle Thunder promoted to Championship in fallout of Wolfpack’s Super League exit

Dec 10, 2020 | 9:58 AM

The ripple effect of the Toronto Wolfpack’s demise spread to Newcastle on Thursday with the Thunder granted promotion from Betfred League 1 to the second-tier Championship.

Super League’s rejection of the Wolfpack’s bid for reinstatement in the top tier of English rugby league prompted six Championship clubs — Bradford, Featherstone, Leigh, London, Toulouse and York — to apply to replace Toronto. A decision on the winning bid is expected next week.

That process created an opening in the Championship with the Barrow Raiders, Doncaster, Rochdale Hornets and Workington Town joining Newcastle in applying to move up a division.

“Newcastle Thunder was the unanimous choice of the panel, for an outstanding application,” said Dean Andrew, the former Rugby Football League president who chaired the five-member panel that selected Newcastle. “The club’s coaching setup and facilities are superb, its community outreach is well-established and growing.”

Thunder chairman Mick Hogan said the promotion “vindicates the progress we have made on and off the field in the past five years.”

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“Our long-term mission is to win Super League by 2030 and this is a significant milestone towards that,” he added in a statement.

Former Wolfpack assistant Simon Finnigan was head coach at Newcastle before leaving to take over Widnes Vikings last month.

Toronto stood down July 20, saying it could not afford to play out the remainder of the pandemic-affected season. The transatlantic rugby league team’s subsequent bid for reinstatement under new ownership in 2021 was rejected Nov. 2.

The Wolfpack remain mired in a sea of red ink with players and staff unpaid since June 10. Majority owner David Argyle, unable to fund the franchise, has stepped away. The Toronto-based Australian entrepreneur has said his ownership group poured $30 million into the franchise — with more bills waiting.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2020

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press