Darren Lockyer buys stake in London Broncos, plots Super League return

CODE Sports can reveal Lockyer and a Brisbane-based consortium have agreed to terms to purchase a majority share in rugby league’s London Broncos.

The parties will complete the sale within a fortnight with Lockyer and business partner Grant Wechsel to submit a formal proposal for re-entry to the Super League competition on Friday.

Lockyer has been a long-time board member of the Broncos and is one of Brisbane’s greatest players, chalking up a record 355 NRL appearances for Queensland’s flagship NRL club.

Now the 48-year-old is the owner of an English sporting team, joining Hollywood actor Reynolds and American icon Brady, who have bought stakes in soccer clubs Wrexham and Birmingham City respectively.

Lockyer and Wechsel were in due diligence discussions and flew to the UK last Saturday to shake hands on the deal with London Broncos owner Gary Hetherington.

Wechsel confirmed on Thursday he and Lockyer are proceeding with the purchase of the London Broncos.

“Yes, we will go ahead with the purchase,” he said.

“Our Super League bid goes in this Friday as well.

“We expect the sale to complete in the coming weeks.”

Under the buyout proposal, former South Sydney coach and ex-Broncos assistant Jason Demetriou has been identified as a target to mastermind a London revival.

Relegated from the Super League last year, London are currently 10th in the Championship, but Lockyer and Wechsel hope to have the Broncos back in the top flight as early as next season.

The Super League will be expanding from 12 to 14 teams next year and Lockyer and Wechsel are determined to spearhead a Wrexham-style resurrection of the London Broncos.

Under Hollywood star Reynolds, Wrexham have made history by winning promotion in three consecutive years.

“I like the challenge of turning the club around and getting them back to the Super League,” Lockyer said.

“We’re keen for the London Broncos to get back into Super League and we’d like to have them on the fringe of the finals next year.

“I want rugby league to be the best it can be across the world and London is a huge city.

“This is an opportunity to rescue the club and make it a premiership force.

“My business partner Grant is great at growing and building businesses.

“He sees it as a challenge too and if we can get the on-field performance where it needs to be and the business reaches its potential, it can be a huge success.”

Lockyer is also a current member of Brisbane’s recruitment-and-retention committee and said he had been in dialogue with the Broncos board.

“I’ve declared this with the Broncos board,” he said.

Wechsel said Lockyer’s gravitas and rugby league knowledge could transform the London Broncos into an English powerhouse.

“’Locky’ and I have been in business for 15 years so we are always looking at opportunities,” he said.

“Locky also has a passion for the game in general but it was a nice coincidence there with the link with the Broncos name and being involved in an ownership group would be a different step for him.

“We think we can make a success of it and we’re hopeful of getting a Super League re-entry.”