SIX days to go . . . and RFL chief Ralph Rimmer, speaking ahead of new club Cornwall’s history-making, first-ever trip to Oldham, says the Cornish club’s entry into the professional game was “a breakthrough moment’ for Rugby League.
Coached by Neil Kelly, Cornwall attracted a crowd of 1,473 to their first-ever home game. They have a squad of 25 or so players, including our former winger Harry Aaronson, several other players from the North, a few local Cornish lads from a Rugby Union background and an ex-Super League forward.
Our Oldham RLFC ambassador Adrian Alexander, who had a spell playing top-level Rugby Union in the South-West before changing codes and signing for Oldham, is strong in his belief that Rugby League can take off and become established as a leader in Cornwall’s sporting culture.
Rimmer clearly believes that to be the case, too.
He told the media down there:
“You can make all sorts of comparisons between Cornwall and Rugby League-land.
“There are lots of rugby league shirts on view already here and that’s both exhilarating and exciting.
“We have known for a long time that there are a lot of rugby players in Cornwall and in the South-West in general. Hopefully, this gives them a port to go to.
“There is plenty of Cornish talent in the Cornwall RLFC squad and it’s great they have been given this opportunity.”
He said Cornwall’s emergence, Toulouse Olympique’s promotion to Super League in France and promising signs in Cumbria and in the North-East (Newcastle), to name but a few, put Rugby League in its healthiest position for a number of years.
Coupled with more TV exposure than ever before, many clubs showing increased attendances and a delayed World Cup coming up later this year, the RFL boss was adamant that Rugby League was on an ‘upward trajectory.’
He went on:
“We have had a number of years in the wilderness, but we have realigned the sport’s governance and we have more big announcements to come down the track in a couple of months.
“We also have a World Cup later this year and the launch of Cornwall RLFC adds to the feel-good factor.
“I firmly believe we are on an upward trajectory now, while acknowledging this hasn’t been the case in the last two or three years.
“Overall, this is an exciting year for Rugby League.”
As in our two previous league games at the Vestacare Stadium so far this season, we will bring you a daily countdown to Sunday’s Cornwall game with all the news and views about the new club’s first visit to these parts and their first experience of taking on an Oldham side — in Oldham.
