Update from Director Simon Winnard

Oldham RLFC Director, Simon Winnard, has provided an update for supporters on several key areas of activity.

"Firstly, the club would like to thank the fantastic travelling support for our trip to the Hurricanes, which was as loud and proud as always. It was great to spend time around the ground with supporters, who are without doubt the lifeblood of the club. We were all made to feel very welcome by our hosts at their new home and we look forward to the return fixture.

Understandably, many supporters will be keen for an update about the contractual dispute with Oldham Athletic. Legal due process is being followed, as well as discussions with key stakeholders such as Oldham Council, as we strive to protect the best interests of the club. Rest assured, the club is looking to resolve this matter as quickly as possible and will update supporters as soon as it is able to. Oldham RLFC would like to put on record its appreciation for the continued patience and backing of our supporters.

However, the club can confirm that it is working on a dozen or so requests for refunds of season tickets. We are committed to working with these supporters to listen, understand the issues and work through them to find a mutually beneficial solution.

The club is also pleased to announce the resurrection of its community partner meetings. These have worked well in the past, as we look to ways to keep key stakeholders up to date with all matters related to Oldham RLFC and for us stay up to speed with developments from our partners. Invites will be issued shortly to the Yeds Supporters Group, Rugby Oldham Supporters Trust, the Heritage Trust, Foundation, Oldham Amateur League, Local Authority and others.

Work is also ongoing to enhance the matchday experience at Bower Fold, thanks to some crucial feedback from supporters, sponsors and officials around their matchday experiences.

A huge shout out to our Women’s team who have made an excellent start to their pre-season. This, in addition to the work being undertaken by our pathways teams is a real testament to the brilliant work being undertaken by our foundation, ably led by its CEO Chris Chamberlain. This, as well as the continued development of our superb Netpar training facility, all point towards a real positive future for the club. There are also plenty more positive developments on the commercial and strategic planning aspects of the club, and we’ll look to update supporters on these developments over the coming weeks.

This coming weekend sees the end of the Heritage Trust’s fantastic exhibition to celebrate 150 years of our great club. The Heritage Trust do a magnificent job in preserving the history of Oldham RLFC and, if you haven’t been yet, please don’t miss out on the opportunity to see it.

The club would also like to thank our supporters for their get well soon wishes for George Riley. George is a is an extremely valuable member of our team and, along with our supporters, we all wish him a speedy recovery, and we hope to be welcoming him back very soon.

Finally, for all those supporters who are making the trip for our Challenge Cup game against Catalan Dragons, we wish you safe travels and look forward to seeing you there cheering on the lads... hopefully to a famous Roughyeds victory."