Sheffield Eagles 2026 IMG Grading Score

08/10/2026

The Rugby Football League has today revealed the 2026 IMG Club Grading Scores, with Sheffield Eagles recording an overall score of 7.85.

Under the revised 2026 grading thresholds, this sees Sheffield Eagles retain a Grade B status while moving up one place in the overall grading rankings to 19th.

Whilst our overall score is 0.62 points lower than our 2025 figure, it is important to understand the changes to the grading system when comparing the two scores. The thresholds for some of the categories have been revised for 2026, which includes 1.5 points for catchment area (which the Eagles scored maximum points on previously) being redistributed across other areas, while some areas that were previously averaged over three years are now averaged over two years. This means that more recent results have had a greater impact on this year's assessment.

There are also several positive developments within this year’s score. We have increased our Performance score by 0.37 points, following our seventh-place finish in the Betfred Championship and our return to the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

We have also gained points within the Stadium and Community categories, following our move to the MEPS International Home of Football Stadium and the continued growth of The Eagles Foundation. In addition, we have also increased our financial score by a further 0.5 points.

The club's directors continue to believe that the IMG grading model provides a valuable framework for measuring the all-round development of Sheffield Eagles across five key areas: Performance, Fandom, Finance, Stadium and Community.

We will continue to review each area of the grading in detail and identify where staff can drive further improvement throughout 2027, with the aim of building on this year's score within the revised system.

Please see below for the full breakdown of our 2026 IMG Grading Score.

Category Scores

Performance: 2.2059 / 6

Our Performance score has seen an increase of 0.37 points from our 2025 score.

This increase is primarily due to the reallocation of points within the Performance category under the revised grading system alongside improved results in 2026.

On the field, the Eagles finished 7th in the Betfred Championship, which saw us secure our place in the playoffs for the first time since 2023. This represents positive progress for the club and has contributed to the additional points available to us within the revised Performance criteria.

Fandom: 1.7750 / 5

Our attendance figures remain neutral within the grading system.

However, we have continued to see strong growth across our digital platforms. Our Digital Engagements increased by 32% compared with 2025, taking us to more than 8 million engagements during the year.

This continued growth has allowed us to maintain our 10% year-on-year growth within this area of the grading.

There were, however, two areas where we narrowly missed out on additional points.

Our website hits did not achieve the required 10% year-on-year uplift. This was a particularly difficult target to achieve given the exceptionally strong level of website traffic recorded during 2025, which set a high benchmark for this year's figures.

We also missed out on additional points for Social Media Followers, falling just 1% short of the required 10% year-on-year growth.

As a result, we have lost 0.13 points within the Fandom category.

Finance: 2 / 5

Within the Finance section, we have increased our score by 0.5 points.

The boundaries for this area have been revised for 2026, alongside changes to several sub-sections relating to non-centralised turnover and owner investment.

As a result of these changes, we have gained points in some areas and lost points in others where the boundaries have changed. Overall, however, the Finance section has increased by 0.5 points, reflecting the level of investment received by the club and how this is recognised within the revised IMG grading system.

Stadium: 1.1220 / 3

Following our move to the MEPS International Home of Football Stadium, our Stadium score has increased.

The move has given Sheffield Eagles primacy of tenure at the venue, which has resulted in an additional 0.25 points within the grading system.

This represents positive progress within the Stadium pillar and reflects the importance of having a home which the club has an element of ownership of and greater control over our matchday venue.

Community: 0.75 / 1

We have gained 0.25 points within the Community section.

This is primarily due to the Eagles Foundation increasing its average turnover over the previous two years, allowing us to move into a higher points boundary within this section.

Total: 7.85