YORK Wasps vice-chairman Russell Greenfield expects the Rugby Football League to fight the Wasps' attempts to bring the London Broncos' Super league franchise to York.

As exclusively revealed on this website late yesterday, the directors of York Wasps have launched an historic attempt to buy Virgin's majority shareholding in the Broncos.

If successful, they would relocate the merged club to Huntington Stadium and rename it York Wasps Ltd.

York Wasps would effectively then be a Super League club by next season.

However, Greenfield accepts that many RFL figures and other Super League clubs would be against the idea of the basement club in the Northern Ford Premiership - Wasps finished bottom last season after financial woes - leapfrogging champions Leigh and play-off finalists Oldham in the race to gain Super League status.

But he has stated that the Wasps, if it came to that, would fight through the courts in their bid to bring Super League to the city.

"I have talked to solicitors who have great experience in these matters and they told us we have a very good chance of entering Super League even if we do get turned down," he told the Evening Press.

"We would therefore proceed further. If we do buy Virgin's shares in Broncos, we would go all the way. What is the point in buying the Broncos' franchise only to play in the NFP?

"The RFL can't stop us buying the Broncos. They might try to stop us merging it with York or moving it to York but we would have the franchise and if we would want to move that's our prerogative. We would have a very strong legal argument."

Greenfield said the Wasps' bid to effectively merge with Broncos was similar to Gateshead Thunder's merger with Hull a few years ago, when the Gateshead club, then in Super League, moved to the Boulevard under the name Hull FC. Greenfield and Wasps chairman John Stabler were directors of Gateshead at the time.

Greenfield has already sent a private letter to chairman of the RFL Sir Rodney Walker explaining the Wasps' stance.

He said: "This might seem to be trying to enter Super League by the back door, while in reality if Broncos fail to start next season it should be Oldham or Leigh," he admitted.

"But we feel the franchise is owned by Broncos therefore they can play where they choose, and in fact that has been several places over the past years.

"We at York feel our city of York is known throughout the world and it would be marvellous to have top flight rugby league here.

"In the past year, our club has been saved in the High Court from closure, has entered a company voluntary arrangement and within 12 months has paid it off and is now in credit with no debts.

"We have massive sponsorship and advertising for the coming season and we would ask what other club has ever achieved so much in such a short period."

He added: "York deserves Super League status if we are able to buy Virgin's shareholding in Broncos."

One possible stumbling block to the Wasps' plans involves the wording of the actual Broncos franchise, in that if it states the franchise must be based in London - therefore keeping a RFL presence in the capital - then that could usurp the bid.

But Greenfield, who will meet with Virgin officials next week to continue negotiations, added: "I don't believe there is such a clause, but even if there is, we would have legal experts look at it."

Updated: 09:35 Friday, August 31, 2001