Steven Broomhead is chief executive of Warrington Borough Council and writes a regular column for the Warrington Guardian

As our attention is being switched to watch the Rugby Union World Cup, the role, purpose and impact of our rugby league team – the Wire comes into perspective as the RL season comes to a close in a month’s time.

The Wire is in the DNA of our town. Of course, there are other sports that deserve and command our attention. A buoyant athletics programme, the running festival on September 24, cricket, netball, cycling, hockey and our 2 up and coming semi professional football teams. We have a sporting environment to be proud of and one that supports activity, health and wellbeing.

The recent financial development in top flight football shows the leverage that the Wire has on our town. The club’s finances are small and continually under pressure compared to that of the Premier League “football business”. Wires financial turnover is approx. £6.5m per year and the club is a beneficiary of the new £21.5m media deal which is divided equally amongst the 12 Super League clubs. It is less than half of what it was some years ago marking a shift in media broadcast prioritisation. In essence, the club is a small and medium sized business with massive impact in terms of our town’s profile nationally and internationally and also one that affects our local happiness quotient.

Compare our club to the vast amount of money to that being invested in new Saudi Arabia league. £5 billion has so far been invested with some of the recruits who are ageing superstars earning approx. £!50k per week playing for teams up until now we haven’t heard of. There are accusations of sportswashing given their poor human rights record.

Rugby league is an honest sport played by honest people. It has embraced diversity quickly and has established successful disability, wheelchair and women’s teams. The players are community role models and are accessible to the local public. They are not behind bullet proof glass with bodyguards as is top flight football. Joe Philbin the Club’s reading ambassador supports literacy in schools and libraries and gives up a lot of time to do so.

Our town is much better for it as our club makes a positive contribution to our economy and our profile nationally and globally.

As this topsy turvy season comes to a close, whatever the outcome, we have a club embedded in our community, driving the values of honesty, integrity, hard work and it creates and develops positive community spirit, social value and conversations.