Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation launched

Mayfield Junior Players with Foundation coaches James Tilley, Andy Harland and Danny Bridge plus Julie Bowmer from Charity Patron – TrimLyne Fruit Bars

Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation has been officially launched at a schools’ coaching event held in Rochdale Leisure Centre.

The Foundation is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered with the Charity Commission and it has been established to provide more opportunities for the people of Rochdale to participate in healthy sporting activity largely through the playing of Rugby League. It is led by an group of inaugural Trustees drawn from the local business community including Andrew Kelly, David Tully and Ben Ingham.

The Foundation has grown out of the Rochdale Hornets Community Department and is a now a fully recognised and independent charity.

Foundation Director, Niel Wood, is keen to outline the significance of this development for the sport in Rochdale, he said: “Rochdale and rugby league belong together. Hornets was a founder member of the Northern Union in 1895 and has a fantastic heritage dating back to 1871.

"The community clubs in the town, Cobras and Littleborough, have continued to provide really good access to the sport and Mayfield are an excellent example at both junior and senior level.

"It is fair to say, however, that the rugby league community has not been totally at one and the establishment of this foundation will provide the glue that binds us all together.”

“The vision for the foundation is to have more people participating in rugby league more often. In order to achieve that we need to support the community clubs, work with the schools, the volunteer network and Rochdale Hornets. In that way we can ensure a really positive future for rugby league in Rochdale, we can provide access to a healthy lifestyle and we can support our community to reach its full potential”

The foundation has already established a strong coaching team led by Andy Harland, a former national development manager, who is working alongside current first team players Danny Bridge and James Tilley. They are currently working in schools, running successful satellite clubs at Wardle, Matthew Moss and at Hollingworth High School. The foundation is also working alongside national charity, Mosaic to deliver a mentoring programme in Kingsway Park School.

The Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation is supported by Baker Bennett.