Deadline put forward for new owners to take on Featherstone Rovers
Interested parties have until September to put their bids together to ensure Featherstone Rovers can have a future in rugby league.
The news has given supporters a boost that the Post Office Road club can be back in the Betfred Championship in 2027 after membership to the RFL was not granted for this year.
Many of them gathered together at the ground on Sunday when the True Blue Revival Group was launched with the aim of raising funds to help secure the future of the club.
Several speakers declared their ambition to back genuine parties who wish to take on a Featherstone professional rugby league club in time to compete again next year.
To be given permission to re-establish the club by the RFL the potential new owners have to ensure ties are cut with the previous ownership as it was put forward as a major factor in the membership bid being turned down for 2026 that the only bidders to take Rovers on after they went into administration involved board members who had already been at the club.
There has been no fresh bid confirmed yet, but there are a number of people working behind the scenes to get something off the ground and they have been encouraged by the latest update posted on Featherstone’s social media.
It read: “The RFL have advised that they will continue to welcome submissions for a new @FevRoversRLFC membership until the end of September 2026.
"Whilst there has been interest there are no submissions to report yet but we remain very confident the club will be back for the 2027 season.”
The RFL has reiterated that it wants to see Fev back in the fold next year, which can further encourage new owners.
By putting a September deadline on bids it would allow new owners plenty of time to put together a squad to compete for the 2027 season.
Local councillors and the MP for the area, Jon Trickett, are backing efforts to get the club up and running again while Paul Cooke, who was head coach at Rovers in 2025, has also said he would be pleased to be involved with any potential consortium looking to run the club.
Mr Trickett said: “Featherstone Rovers is so important for people in our area and I want everyone to know that we've been working very hard to make sure that this important facility is open.
"I’ve written to the administrator who deals with the possible liquidation of the existing Rovers company. I’ve spoken to the three local councillors and Featherstone Town councillors and I’ve been into Wakefield to meet the leader and deputy leader of the council.
"As well as that I’ve met fans and I’ve met some business people who are interested.
"Featherstone Rovers is really quite important to me personally and I know it is to so many Featherstone folk. We’re working hard, I’m determined to find a solution – we’ve got to get Rovers back playing. Rovers will rise again.”