OLDHAM Rugby League Club’s much-publicised Pathway programme, run by Mike Ford and Joe Warburton under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, kicks off at Melrose this Saturday, November 4 at 10.30am when, hopefully, the stars of tomorrow will be on view when the under-15s and under-16s, school years 10 and 11, play Leigh.
The big event will be led by Warburton, the Roughyeds’ man in charge of the Pathway programme in Oldham, and he will have the assistance of several community coaches in the Oldham area plus his right-hand man John Byram, who has been instrumental from the start in helping Warburton to set up this Pathway programme on behalf of the RFL and Oldham RLFC, writes ROGER HALSTEAD.
Said John:
“In these two age groups alone we’ve about 70 lads involved. We’ve scheduled for two games Everybody will get a game and we are trying to make it as special as possible by having the Oldham lads playing in Roughyeds replica shirts. They are going to be exact replicas, supplied by Roughyeds, but to be honest there is some delay in manufacture because of potential changes in the League structure beneath Super League, so we may have to use an existing strip, but it will be a Roughyeds strip of sorts, that’s for sure.
“Most of the boys in this age-group who have been offered scholarship places at a Super League club are already signed up, but experience tells us there is still a load of talent around, although the Pathway programme is more about providing opportunities for everyone. The one thing it isn’t is elitist. Rugby League generally is for everybody, and that is certainly the case with the Pathway.
“We’ve lads coming on Saturday from many parts of Lancashire where they don’t have access to the Pathway programme.
“They will be mainly Oldham lads, but there will be some outsiders too. It’s amazing how word of what we are doing in Oldham has spread across the county.”
THERE’S more youth rugby league at Melrose on Sunday when the under-12s are in action in an event sponsored by Rugby Oldham, the Roughyeds’ Supporters’ Trust. Limehurst Lions play Mayfield at 10am, followed by Waterhead v Saddleworth at noon.
