Wakefield Council is set to approve £500,000 in funding to secure the future of professional rugby league in Featherstone. The money would support the Rugby Football League (RFL) in purchasing the Post Office Road stadium and its associated assets.
The funding decision will be put before the council cabinet next week. It follows Featherstone Rovers entering administration in December and the club being denied membership of the RFL.
The funding plan
The council's contribution would come from the Rugby League Resilience Fund, which was established by Wakefield Council to support the sustainability of professional rugby league clubs across the district. The RFL has committed to match-funding the council's £500,000 contribution, and discussions are also taking place regarding potential additional support from national funding bodies.
If approved, the funding is intended to help create a "sustainable successor club" capable of returning to competition from 2027.
Council and RFL backing
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."
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."