Vikings back in the big time

Widnes will return to Super League next season after they were awarded a three-year licence by the Rugby Football League (RFL).

The Vikings saw off competition from Championship rivals Barrow and Halifax to get the nod from the RFL’s board of directors.

They were relegated from the top flight in 2005 and missed out on a licence three years later, with Salford and Crusaders getting the nod instead.

Now, though, the hard work of chairman Steve O’Connor, who has poured more than £2 million into the club, has paid off as Widnes have been confirmed as the first team to be part of Super League for 2012.

Opportunity

“Widnes put in a terrifically strong application and I believe that there is no doubt at all that they will raise the standard of Super League,” RFL chairman Richard Lewis told Sky Sports News HD.

“They’ve got the opportunity to hit the ground running.

“It was never going to be the easiest decision because we were going to have two other clubs who were going to be disappointed.

“But Widnes deserve it. They’ve done very well over the past three years, both on and off the field, they put together a really good application and they are ambitious.”

Widnes won back-to-back championships from 1987-89 but missed out when Super League was formed in 1996. They did win promotion in 2002 before making way for the arrival of Catalan Dragons three seasons later.

Success in the Northern Rail Cup in 2008 made them eligible to re-apply this year for a licence, and O’Connor demonstrated his ambition in the winter with the appointment of former Great Britain international Denis Betts as coach.

They certainly have a ground ready for Super League – the Stobart Stadium is currently providing a temporary home to local rivals St Helens.

Halifax hopeful

As for Halifax, despite missing out this time around they still remain in contention for a Super League licence for 2012-14.

Having met the RFL’s minimum criteria, they will now be considered alongside the current top-tier clubs for the remaining 13 berths.

“Halifax remains in the mix,” Lewis confirmed.

“They will now be compared against the applications from the other Super League clubs, with that decision being made and announced in July.

“They are obviously going to be disappointed, but they were up against a very strong contender. It’s a tough competition to get into and they knew that, but they have another chance later this year.”