Council set to agree £500k for RL club's rescue

Funding of £500,000 could be agreed by Wakefield Council to secure the future of professional rugby league in Featherstone.

Under plans being put before cabinet next week, the money would support the purchase by the Rugby Football League (RFL) of the Post Office Road stadium and its associated assets.

It comes after Featherstone Rovers went into administration in December and the club was denied membership of the RFL.

The council said the funding would help to create a "sustainable successor club" capable of returning to competition from 2027.

If approved, the funding would come from the Rugby League Resilience Fund, which was set up by Wakefield Council to support the sustainability of professional rugby league clubs across the district.

An RFL spokesperson said: "We are grateful to Wakefield Council for enabling the release of Resilience Funding to support the future of Rugby League in Featherstone.

"We have worked closely over the last nine months, and we are mindful that we will be in receipt of public money to support this.

"Therefore, more than ever, we must ensure we ourselves believe there is a viable sustainable future. We remain hopeful we can find a solution to bring Featherstone Rovers RLFC back to the town."

The council's contribution would be match-funded by the RFL, with discussions also taking place regarding potential additional support from national funding bodies.

Lukasz Borcz, cabinet member for leisure and sport, said: "Rugby league has played an important role in the sporting and community life of the town for generations.

"These proposals are about protecting rugby league heritage in Featherstone and protecting facilities that are valued by local people.

"The use of funding from the Rugby League Resilience Fund will help to establish a sustainable professional future for the game in the town."

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