PROFESSIONAL rugby league is poised to return to York.

The Rugby Football League have accepted York back into the league for next season and admitted a second London club.

The 30 professional clubs, represented by the decision-making RFL Council, agreed to bring in a new five-division structure, starting next March, at their meeting in Halifax yesterday.

Super League will remain unchanged but the 18-strong Northern Ford Premiership will be expanded to accommodate York and North London Skolars and split in two to form National Leagues One and Two.

Below them in a pyramid structure, the new National League Three will comprise two divisions of amateur clubs.

Two clubs, Workington and Hunslet, voted against the admission of the Londoners but there was overwhelming support for the return of York, one of the league's oldest clubs.

Both York and North London, who will play in National League Two, have been ordered to lodge a minimum of £75,000 with the bank by the end of August to prove their financial viability.

York fans have already raised £30,000 in an effort to save the club from going of business in mid-season and prospective chief executive Steve Ferres says the intention is to increase their capital to £250,000 through a membership scheme.

York, who may incorporate City into their title, plan to consult with supporters before choosing a nickname to replace the Wasps. They will continue to play at Huntington Stadium in the short term while exploring the possibility of sharing a new stadium with the York City FC should they eventually gain Super League status.

"We are obviously delighted with the news but the hard work has only just begun," said Ferres, the former Huddersfield coach.

"We don't want to be seen as a small-time club and our aim is to be the best outside Super League in terms of youth development. We have got to get it right at the grass-roots."

The new club has received the backing of City of York Council, who have agreed to fund the appointment of a development officer.

The admission of North London comes just three years after the league contracted with the loss of the last expansion club Gateshead Thunder and 22 years after the birth of London Broncos, who were known as Fulham for the first 13 years of their existence.

The elevation of the Skolars, who currently operate in the summer-based Conference League, means that the capital will have two professional rugby league clubs for the first time since Streatham & Mitcham and Acton & Willesden were in existence 66 years ago.

North London have been told to make minor improvements to their New River Sports Stadium on White Hart Lane, just under two miles from Spurs' football ground, and secretary Andrew Jackson said the club would be looking make gradual progress.

"We won't be budgeting on getting 2,000 through the gates," he said. "If we were to get an average of 1,000 in our first season, we would be delighted."

The League are to consider proposals to cut the overseas quota for Super League clubs from five in time for the 2004 season.

Updated: 12:21 Thursday, August 01, 2002