Hull boss enters union row

Wheeler's comments have stirred up a hornets' nest

By BBC Sport's Dave Woods

Hull FC chief executive Shane Richardson has called on his colleagues to stand up and be counted amid rumours that up to four rugby league clubs are thinking of switching codes.

Richardson has urged his counterparts at the likes of Bradford and Wigan to "say where they stand" amid claims that they have held talks to move en masse to rugby union.

He has challenged fellow Super League clubs to sign 10-year loyalty pledges that they will not switch to rugby union.

"You can't sit on the fence on this one," he said. "You're on the side of rugby league or of rugby union. Unless people are willing to commit to rugby league in the form of a 10-year loyalty contract, they should tell their fans now."

We will never play rugby union at this club

  Shane Richardson
Hull chief executive

Richardson wants leadership from the RFL to follow the example of the game in Australia and refuse any integration with the 15-a-side code.

"The NRL (Australian rugby league's governing body) have said they and their clubs are not interested in any link up or combination with rugby union sides whatsoever.

"In my opinion we should be doing the same here."

There have been rumours for some months that a couple of rugby league's top clubs were in talks with their rugby union counterparts.

Inevitably Wigan and Bradford are the two clubs most strongly linked with such talks.

Richardson says: "People should come out now and say where they stand. They should stand up and say: 'This idea of going to Union is crap.'

"There's nothing wrong with ground sharing. We'll be sharing with Hull City next year, but it doesn't mean I want this club to play football. But that's as far as it should go.

Prime targets

"The fans won't stand for it anyway, Rugby league is part of the communities in which it is played."

Hull would appear to be prime targets for a rugby union takeover, given their emergence this season as one of the forces in the game, with a support potential that matches the other big clubs.

But Richardson insists: "No, we will never play rugby union at this club."

Asked whether he had received any type of approach from Peter Wheeler or any of his associates, he replied: "We're too working-class in Hull for that to happen."