The Rugby Football League has finalised a deal that ensures there will be a rugby league club in Bradford for the start of the forthcoming season, following the liquidation of the former Super League champions Bradford Bulls this month.
The Bulls ceased trading last week following a seven-week period in administration and, following a bidding process in which four parties declared an interest in forming a club in the city, the RFL informed its preferred bidder on Friday evening that they had won control.
It is understood that the former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers is at the heart of the winning consortium. He previously lodged a bid to take control of the Bulls while they were in administration, before the administrators rejected the bid just before Christmas.
Chalmers registered the company Bradford Bulls 2017 Limited with Companies House on Friday afternoon but the RFL will not declare the identity of the winning bidder in its statement. Instead, the new owners are expected to hold a press conference at the beginning of next week.
The new club will start life in the second tier, the Championship, with a 12-point deduction, the RFL confirmed last week.
In a statement, the RFL said: “Following a thorough review and consultation with potential owners throughout the week, the RFL Board approved a decision to offer membership of the League to a consortium that it believes offers an exciting and stable future for Rugby League in Bradford. As previously communicated, the new club will begin the 2017 season in the Championship on minus 12 points.”
“The RFL is confident that the consortium selected to run a new club in Bradford will provide an exciting and stable future for Rugby League in the city,” added the RFL’s Director of Operations and Legal, Karen Moorhouse. “They outlined a strong vision, have relevant and extensive experience and we are confident that they offer the best opportunity to take a new club forward.”
The new club are due to start the season with a trip to Hull Kingston Rovers next month, and the new owners will now liaise with the players and staff who were made free agents following the Bulls’ liquidation in a bid to put a squad together for the new season before a formal press conference on Monday.
“The owners will arrive at Odsal early next week and will at that point speak with former players, staff and relevant stakeholders before holding a press conference to reveal their identity and outline their vision for the future,” the RFL said.
