Fans fear 'asset strip' at rugby club - councillor

Councillors have been "inundated" with concerns from Featherstone Rovers fans about potential new owners "asset stripping" the town's rugby league club, a meeting heard.

Rovers were barred from competing in the Championship this season after entering administration in December amid mounting debts.

Featherstone councillor Scott Haslam said news of a bid for the club's assets would normally be welcome, but fans were concerned a "rumoured bid has the intention to asset strip and regenerate that area".

Jack Hemingway, Wakefield Council's regeneration lead, said the authority wanted to "protect the club assets" and was doing all it could to "secure the future of rugby league in Featherstone".

"We know that the situation with the club and the administrators is still being worked through," he said.

"The council is very much trying to help behind the scenes to facilitate that process and to safeguard the interests of the people of Featherstone."

Parties interested in buying the club have until September to put a bid together to ensure the team can compete next season, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Hemingway said a "number of bidders" had expressed an interest in the club through the administrators but would not comment on "whether they were asset strippers".

"We absolutely want to protect the club assets, to make sure that any phoenix club that wants to rise to bring Featherstone rugby league back to life will be able to do so and will be in a financial position to do so," he added.

Hemingway said the council had previously supported the district's professional clubs through its Rugby League Resilience Fund.

"There are still funds available for Featherstone through that and we are prepared to step in and help, should the need arise," he added.

"We are working behind the scenes to do what we can to help secure the future of rugby league in Featherstone."

In January, the Rugby Football League (RFL) confirmed that Rovers had not been granted membership of the organisation or entry into the 2026 Championship.

A statement said: "The club fell into administration in December and the one submission received to take ownership of the club has not met the required governance criteria and RFL membership has been denied.

"The RFL will continue to work with the administrator and remains committed to supporting a sustainable return of professional rugby league in the town of Featherstone moving forward."

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