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Leigh Leopards face 1MILLION fine if Super League club pull out of semi-final

Ramifications of Leigh Leopards pulling out of Super League semi final at Wigan could prove massive for the club and the sport in general

[Derek Beaumont]

Derek Beaumont insists Leigh won't fulfil their semi final clash at Wigan(Image: PA)

Leigh Leopards could face a fine of up to 1m if the Super League club pulls out of Friday's crunch semi final at Wigan Warriors. And the financial implications would leave the club battling to avoid going bankrupt.

Leigh chairman Derek Beaumont has told Wigan his side will not fulfil the fixture, because of what he perceives to an 'unacceptable' ticket allocation for travelling supporters.

But failing to show up for the game would see Leigh be in breach of the broadcasting contract Super League clubs have with Sky Sports. Under the terms of the current deal, all 12 top flight clubs receive a combined 21.5m from the broadcaster, in return for the games being shown live.

The cash injection helps bankroll the sport, but the deal is due to expire at the end of next season. Sky has been Super League's broadcast partner since the competition launched in 1996, but the value of the contract has dropped significantly in recent years.

And with Leigh now threatening to pull out of one of the most high-profile games of the season, bosses at the Rugby Football League(RFL) and Super League are concerned about the damage this would do to the future relationship between themselves and Sky.

It's understood Sky would consider legal action against the RFL should this happen, with the fine being levied across all member clubs, although Leigh would be held ultimately responsible.

Beaumont told Wigan of his club's intentions on Tuesday, but appeared to backtrack on social media 24 hours later when he said he hoped his club's concerns 'could be satisfied.'

Despite the uncertainty, both teams have announced their 21-man squads for the game, which will see the winners secure a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 11.

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Derek Beaumont insists Leigh won't fulfil their semi final clash at Wigan(Image: PA)

Beaumont told Wigan of his club's intentions on Tuesday, but appeared to backtrack on social media 24 hours later when he said he hoped his club's concerns 'could be satisfied.'

Despite the uncertainty, both teams have announced their 21-man squads for the game, which will see the winners secure a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 11.

A Wigan statement said: "At 10.37pm on Tuesday 30 September, our club was informed in writing by Derek Beaumont of Leigh Leopards that they do not intend to fulfil Friday's scheduled semi-final fixture.

"We can confirm that Leigh Leopards were offered the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand.

"While we regret that Leigh Leopards found this arrangement unacceptable, our club is legally, and professionally, bound to comply with the directions of our Ground Safety Officer and the conditions of our Ground Safety Certificate.

"The safety and welfare of all supporters must come first. This is not open to negotiation and underpins every decision we make. We continue to prepare for Friday's semi-final and will release further information as the situation develops."

The RFL have declined to comment, although it's understood chairmen Nigel Wood has been attempting to find a compromise, despite currently being on a cruise around Alaska and Iceland.

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