Australian rugby league legend Darren Lockyer is leading a group interested in buying the London Broncos, as has been reported.
Lockyer is well-known for his time with the Brisbane Broncos and serves on the board of the NRL team. He believes that there is a lot of promise in the London Broncos, so he is part of a team trying to acquire a major ownership share in the Championship club.
Together with his business partner Grant Wechsel, Lockyer plans to go to London on Friday to talk with officials from both the London Broncos and the Rugby Football League (RFL). The takeover process is currently moving into a detailed examination phase, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Right now, Leeds Rhinos CEO Gary Hetherington is in charge of the Broncos but intends to completely separate from Leeds at the end of the season to lead London into a new and exciting time.
The investment from Australia would definitely help the Broncos as they aim to rebuild their brand, get back into the Super League, and become a strong team outside the main rugby league regions.
It’s unclear how Lockyer’s involvement would affect plans like rebranding, especially with his connections to the Broncos, but having a connection to Brisbane has not been dismissed.
The report mentions that Lockyer and Wechsel have even written down a list of possible coaching candidates, with Jason Demetriou being one of them.
“It’s an exciting chance,” Lockyer stated to the Daily Telegraph. “I believe the London Broncos can do a lot for the international rugby league, which is a big reason I’m interested. ”
“I enjoy the challenge of improving the club and bringing them back to the Super League. We are heading to London tomorrow. We really want to see the London Broncos return to the Super League, and we will check things out over the weekend while continuing our examination. ”
“My partner Grant is excellent at building and expanding businesses. He views this as a challenge as well, and if we can get the team performing well and the business on track, it could be really successful. ”
He continued: “I know what Ryan Reynolds accomplished with Wrexham FC and that Tom Brady is involved with Birmingham. But we always joke that Grant isn’t a billionaire, and I wouldn’t be able to lace up Tom Brady’s shoes. There have been examples in sports where clubs have been turned around, and one thing I’ve taken from Tom Brady is that with hard work and the right resources, a business can really grow. ”
“I’m an entrepreneur, and Grant is too, and when an opportunity comes your way and you understand the industry and believe you can make it work, you want to jump in.”
