Roughyeds Women to enter League 3

Oldham RLFC are delighted to confirm that the club's application to enter Roughyeds Women into the Rugby Football League structure has been successful, and our team will play in a new Northern League 3 next season.

Just five months after its launch, our new women's team can now look forward to a competitive season in 2026, with the RFL set to confirm both fixtures and league structure early in the New Year.

The year will start with a friendly against Keighley Cougars at Cougar Park on February 8th.

Led by head coach Ben Marsden, the squad boasts a mixture of experienced and international stars alongside new local talent inspired to pick up a rugby ball for the very first time.

Training sessions at Netpar Training Centre have seen squad numbers grow week on week.

"We were very confident with our application and are delighted that our hard work so far has been recognised with the opportunity to play competitive games straight away," said Marsden.

We have a great group of players here already and some real talent - I am looking forward to seeing what we can do as a team."

Team manager Natalie Howarth added:

"We have been really happy with the commitment so far and the players have shown real dedication over the last 16 weeks.

"We have increased the intensity every week so far and the response from everyone has been brilliant."