Widnes return as trapdoor opens again

Widnes were yesterday celebrating their return to the top flight after promotion and relegation were restored to rugby league.

The Northern Ford Premiership champions succeeded where the previous Grand Final winners Hunslet and Dewsbury failed, after meeting the requirements of the game's independent franchise panel.

The Vikings will become the first side to go up to the Super League from the Premiership since Wakefield were promoted in 1998, while the Super League's bottom club – likely to be Huddersfield or Wakefield – will become the first team to be relegated since Oldham Bears went down in 1997.

Widnes were the biggest casualties of the shake-up that heralded the advent of summer rugby in 1995 and their return to the big time marks the completion of a remarkable transformation. The famous club, founder members of the breakaway Northern Union in 1895, were world club champions in 1989 and made Wembley their second home with seven Challenge Cup final appearances from 1975-84. But their fortunes hit rock bottom following their controversial omission from Super League in 1996.

The Widnes coach Neil Kelly has already begun the task of re-shaping his squad for Super League and admits there will be a "big turnaround" as the club switches from part-time to full-time. The former Great Britain full-back Stuart Spruce, who began his professional career with Widnes in 1990, is a potential new signing after being released by Bradford, and Kelly expects to fill the club's overseas quota.

"Jason Demetriou was our overseas player in the NFP and I am looking to retain him," he said. "It is more than likely we will use all five quota spots."

Kelly is to spend a month in Australia, working behind the scenes at Parramatta and Sydney Roosters as part of the Rugby Football League's excel coaching programme, and hopes to combine the trip with a scouting mission.

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that Widnes will receive an equal share of central funding, which is expected to be around £600,000, to enable them to compete on even terms in Super League. However, while the promotion issue has been settled, the big losers of the new shake up have yet to be decided. Huddersfield, who finished bottom in each of their three seasons in the top flight, are currently locked in a relegation dogfight with Wakefield.

The Wigan centre Paul Johnson yesterday became the second Great Britain squad member to turn his back on a move to rugby union.

The 22-year-old Johnson, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the season, has followed the lead set by St Helens hooker Keiron Cunningham in pledging his future to his Super League club.

He has signed a three-year extension which will keep him at the JJB Stadium until the end of the 2004 season after rejecting the offer of a lucrative four-year deal from Gloucester, who recently recruited Henry Paul for next season.

Meanwhile, the Wales Rugby Union is still confident of being able to announce the switching of codes of Iestyn Harris.