RL Cares rubbish reports about Museum

RL Cares have rubbished reports that the Rugby League Museum will move from the George Hotel, to another location.

The hotel is known as the spiritual home of rugby league. Back in 1895, the breakaway clubs met there and formed the Northern Rugby Union.

The museum has been a discussion ever since the Rugby League Heritage Centre closed back in 2013. It was originally supposed to be at Bradford City Hall, but that plan was abandoned in 2020.

In 2019, Kirklees Council bought the tender for the building. A year later, an agreement was reached with the council over plans for the hotel.

However, there had been suggestions that the charity was thinking about moving it to a different location. The charity have moved quickly to suggest this is not the case.

Museum to stay at home of rugby league

Their statement read: “RL Cares would like to place on record its surprise and disappointment at recent suggestions from Kirklees Council officers that the charity is considering new proposals to establish the National Rugby League Museum at a location other than the George Hotel. This is simply not the case.

“The success of Kirklees Council’s application to host the National Rugby League Museum was based on the museum being housed at the George Hotel.

“To the wider world, Rugby League, recognised by the Government as one of the UK’s top five sports. It was coming home, and nothing has happened in the last 17 months to change that.

“Any proposals to house the National Rugby League Museum in Kirklees anywhere other than the George Hotel are both misguided and uninformed.

“RL Cares remains hopeful that Kirklees Council will honour its commitment to work with the charity and other partners to deliver a National Rugby League Museum within the George Hotel.”

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