The Last Tackle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lc54uPgnhk contains an interview with Derek Beaumont, which got me thinking, "Was the Rebrand a success?" Obviously the team have achieved the primary goal of survival, at a very important juncture in the game, with Franchising coming in next season. The team are now focused on Playoffs and Challenge Cup, but what about the other aspects of the Rebrand?

The Last Tackle - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lc54uPgnhk contains an interview with Derek Beaumont, which got me thinking, "Was the Rebrand a success?" Obviously the team have achieved the primary goal of survival, at a very important juncture in the game, with Franchising coming in next season. The team are now focused on Playoffs and Challenge Cup, but what about the other aspects of the Rebrand?

I have been watching Leigh since the 50s and was totally against the rebrand. To cut a long story short, i now can’t wait for Friday nights when I flash my member’s pass and enjoy watching our excellent team perform, while wearing my Leopards Shirt and Cap.

Yes, it has been. Got to say that it could be a master stroke. A huge chance to develop year on year and build the club and brand. Watch the next Leopard roar. This is the start of something very big. Asiata to do something we could only dream of.....

A fantastic team on the field, game day made in to a superb event, and a playful new image for the club.

It's been a masterstroke, but I think it's taken all those elements to make it stick. Just rebranding wouldn't have worked.

If I was from Wigan I'd give it three thumbs up, as it is two will have to do.

I could go on and on about why I think it was done, how well it was done (despite the constraints of needing to announce it before it was meant to be due to SL pressure), and how it has become the new identity of our club in an unbelievably short time for this kind of move,
But all I am going to say is, read Reffy’s post and that sums it up.
Master stroke for me.

The Leigh Leopards rebrand was the cause of much hilarity around the Rugby League world with even Vossy having a laugh at the thought of meeting a Leopard on the streets of Leigh. Let's face it Sports Monikers are not usually about the local wild life, Castleford Tigers, Leeds Rhinos and my absolute favourite the long forgotten Huddersfield Barracudas.

Leopards are cute and friendly, but dangerous and fast, and the same is true of this team. The Leopards have wiped the slate clean on the field and have a new found admiration from neutrals, for a side playing exciting Rugby.

Not everything about the Rebrand has been a roaring success. Last years flaky website as been down since the Million Pound game, and rumours of it's phoenix like rebirth are always without merit, even when uttered by the Leopard skin print wearing owner DB just last week.

The first team kit is an eyesore, and the compromise of adding a little cherry to the off-white Leopard/Jaguar stalking on the players shirts never really worked. The Names and Numbers on the back of the shirts are not clearly defined from a distance. On the plus side, merchandise with anything using Leopard print is selling like hot cakes.

Success on the field will allow for an easier job of retention and recruitment. According to Derek this is now all wrapped up, allowing Chezzy more time to mooch around Morrison's at lunchtime.

The Leigh Leopards have put a smile on my face, and that does not happen often.

Regarding retention, has it been said that Kai O’Donnell has resigned.

Resigned or re-signed? Please let it be the latter.

This season has seen Leigh RL (under any of it's "sobriquets"icon_wink.gif achieve success on the field never previously savoured by we fans during the SL era. DB, on launching The Leopards, stated that the brand "Centurions" was obviously outdated (more than another quarter century on), but was also associated with previous failures to remain in Super League. Though mathematically possible that Leigh could still be relegated after garnering ten wins (as London Bronx recently were (albeit in a 29 game season)), it is highly unlikely.

Survival (with no squeaky bum time) reflects well on the re-brand but is not caused by it.

Is it the rugby or the pre-match entertainment that has seen a rise in attendances? Bongser's attendance is well down on last year due to the timing of most home games. SkY Sport's attendance is poopey poor as well!

Haven't bought (and won't buy) this season's abhorrent shirt and don't, on the whole, wear leopard print dresses - but am seeing a LOT more leopard print on the streets of Manchester - and increasingly so. Perhaps it's catching on?

Is the re-brand a success, Sev? Hard to say. People have stopped laughing at it, at least.

The biggest success of any sporting rebrand in the UK

You never disappoint, Mo, but please explain the metric (and whose it is).

I actually think the shirt was one of, if not the master stroke. Certainly not my style (not that I have any style anymore), but it was designed to shock and garner comment. Comment about our team. It most certainly did that in spades, and it still is being talked about. People who would never have given our team a second thought, including fans from other sports, know who we are and are seeing us succeed.
And the whole package, re-name, shirt, team success, quality coaching staff, pre-game entertainment, game day as an event not just a game, home support growth, away support numbers, and a passionate owner who backs his club funding wise, and doesn’t shy away from the public eye, media and social media. All sounds like a perfect fit for IMG

Rugby fantastic kit appalling.The only way the rebranding can be a success is if it attracts further investment not sponsorship but some real backing from one of imgs many partners otherwise we are built on sand a dose of reality with rfl announcing losses

Just trying to think which clubs aren’t built on sand ?? Most soccer clubs have currently massive over valuations when looking to P/E ratios etc many have huge debts secured on those valuations, and local clubs not in PL with recent admin issues. We need an extra 1000 paying fans, if we can’t find them then we don’t deserve a seat at the table. All sports that are not truly international are struggling for the scraps

an extra 1000 on top of what 6/7000 for what break even make a profit pay off debts what is imgs end game we dont want derek to sell and our club to move and die

Mention should be made of another part of the rebrand. Well done to the Leopard ladies today, in trying circumstances.

5.5K home fans dont pay for the current squad....

DB stated in 2017, that Leigh made a profit from smaller attendances. Obviously the matchday costs have gone up with the entertainment put on, and the chances are Leigh are close to the salary cap (even with a small squad) and probably paying for 2 marquee players.

Revenue is up on attendances and sponsorship, but DB is still very much bankrolling the club. Apparently the club are missing out on online merchandising sales with the website down for 9 months and stocks low at the shop. People seem to like anything spotted (who would have thought).

Last year was the key and that is where Derek bank-rolled the club with no guarantees, players like Asiata, Lam, Amone, Ipape and O'Donnell are the bedrock of this team and they all Championship rugby last season. This group are now stars of the Super League, but it was far from obvious that this would be the case.

I am guessing money is not an issue to Derek when things are going well, and things are going exceptionally well.

i think even without the outstanding event entertainment the operating costs of matchday will have risen beyond belief from the LSV management since 2017; increased % of matchday tickets, unbelievable amount of unnecessary stewards, operation of 4 stands, traffic management - the list is probably endless from them... hopefully significant increase in membership take up for 2024 will reassure all at the Leopards that its certainly worth providing for

Does the Sky money not pay for the squad, thought that was the equivalent of the salary cap

It was but somebody called Elstone negotiated the SkY money down from 40 Million pounds to 25 - and got paid and thanked for it by the RFL.

It used to. I believe Salary cap £2.1M and Sky money £1.8M. In previous years Wakefield and Castleford were able to run teams under the cap and trouser the rest. They certainly did not spend on ground improvements.

The same people that brought him in (Bongser suspects but has no proof) have brought in IMG.

Maybe soon the SkY money won't pay for a blade of grass!

Sorry, Sev, crossed in the post.

i think the current deal drops in well short of the cap and when you have marque player(s) then it defo doesnt cover it...