Bradford Bulls confirm stance on dual-registration ahead of 2024 season following Super League interest

Bradford Bulls will not form a dual-registration partnership with a top flight team for the 2024 campaign, despite ‘several expressions of interest from Super League clubs’.

Introduced in 2013, the dual-registration rule allows players to play for both of the partnered clubs throughout a season, though only for one of them in each match week/round.

Like most clubs, Championship big-hitters Bradford have utilised it to their advantage in recent years, linking up with Super League outfits Leeds Rhinos and Hull FC.

At the other end of the scale, the Bulls have also entered dual-registration partnerships with League 1 clubs Hunslet and Cornwall, allowing their younger stars to get valuable gametime in the third tier.

Bradford Bulls confirm stance on dual-registration ahead of 2024 season following Super League interest

It had been expected that Eamon O’Carroll’s side would renew their link with Leeds for the 2024 campaign, but that won’t be the case, as confirmed in a statement released by the Bulls earlier this afternoon.

Instead, they are focused on utilising their own academy talents, bedded in sporadically amongst their regular first-teamers, as they look for a return to Super League via IMG approval.

In the first rankings, Bradford came 14th. A score of 12.02 makes them the third-most appealing prospect in the Championship according to the marketing consultants, behind Toulouse Olympique and newly-relegated Wakefield Trinity.

On their website this lunchtime, the Odsal outfit said: “Bradford Bulls can officially announce their decision to forego the use of dual-registration with any Super League club for the upcoming 2024 season.

“This decision was carefully reached by the club’s leadership and coaching team after receiving several expressions of interest from Super League clubs, who all recognised the benefits of forging such a relationship with the Bulls.

“The decision reflects the club’s ongoing commitment towards developing and maximising the potential of their own young players and gives them the opportunity to have first grasp on a first team shirt.

“The club is open to dual-registration with other Championship or League 1 clubs should it benefit all concerned parties and as such will review this on an ongoing basis.”

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