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The Rugby Football League have begun talks with potential new sponsors after confirming the end of the road for the Stobart deal.

The League agreed to scrap Stobart's sponsorship of Super League just 12 months into a three-year deal in response to mounting unrest from clubs unhappy that it failed to produce any cash.

The deal was pushed through in January only with the strong support of RFL chairman Richard Lewis, who persuaded clubs to vote for it ahead of an alternative cash offer from Betfair, but he recently left the governing body to become chief executive of the All England Club.

James Mercer, Super League's commercial director, has defended the Stobart deal, insisting that it raised awareness of the sport nationwide, and expressed his confidence about being able to secure a new backer for the start of the 2013 season.

"The Stobart deal was creative and innovative, as you would expect from the RFL, and now it's about taking it to a new level," he said.

"The construction of the agreement with Stobart just didn't suit in the end but there were positives from it in the way it showed us as being prepared to be innovative and look for a marketing collaboration.

"We are starting formal discussions at present with a few different brands at the moment who have expressed an interest.

"The clubs in the end voted for the Stobart deal and they realise it is important to get a financial return but also to got to continue what Stobart started.

"Super League is very well placed to do that, given the success of where we are at with television audiences, which leave us in a good position to properly commercialise the sport."

The RFL are also seeking new backers to take over sponsorship of the Challenge Cup from Leeds Metropolitan University, whose long-term deal under its Carnegie brand expires this year, and are considering selling naming rights for the 2013 World Cup.

Mercer remains confident the League can find sponsors despite the difficulties with the economy.

"Sponsorship is performing reasonably well, particularly against advertising," he said. "The market is not bad at the moment.

"We've had a bit more time to go to the market place with the Challenge Cup but there has always been interest in Super League.

"They are two very different properties and there will probably be different brands involved. We are talking to brands informally and formally at the moment.

"The Challenge Cup is huge in terms of heritage, whereas Super League is innovative, dynamic and exciting.

"Nothing in life is easy but we've got a very good opportunity and I'm confident will find something.

"The sport will be better presented next year in all sorts of ways.

"We are expanding with three new clubs joining Championship One and we have the prospect of hosting the Rugby League World Cup in the autumn of 2013, which provides us with another great opportunity."