Whitehaven to make heartwarming gesture for Christmas

Whitehaven have announced they will be hosting a special Christmas lunch at the LEL Arena.

The event, which is free of charge, will be for those who would otherwise be lonely on Christmas Day. The invitation is extended to anybody who contacts the club via social media, or through the club office before 23rd December.

In a statement, the club said: “Christmas is a joyous time for most of us however for some it can be a time where they feel isolated.

“This year, Whitehaven RLFC are going to be putting on a Christmas lunch at the LEL Arena, free of charge, for anyone who wishes to spend a few hours in the company of others that are in a similar position of not having anyone to share the day with.

“We will be putting together a Christmas lunch for anyone who contacts the club, via its social media pages, club office or through another means possible by Thursday the 23rd of December.”

Whitehaven preparing for new year

On the pitch, preparations are well underway for the Cumbrian side. They are looking to build on last season’s exploits, when they managed to get into the playoffs.

They have announced the return of their annual friendly against rivals Workington for the Ike Southward Memorial Cup in January. The fixture makes a return after an enforced break in 2021.

After that, the club open the Championship season at the end of January. They travel to Leigh on 30th January.

The club are also building ahead of Jonty Gorley’s first season in charge. He replaced Gary Charlton as Head Coach, who has taken a role as Director of Rugby.

Despite the losses of influential players Louis Jouffret and Lachlan Walmsley, the club have kept a lot of the same players. They have also added to the squad.

New Zealand fullback Geronimo Doyle has joined, as well as Aussie halfback Alex Bishop. Closer to home, Liam McAcvoy and Kieran Hudson have signed from Newcastle and Jake Moore makes the move across Cumbria from Workington.

Read More: Championship ins and outs for 2022: Signings and retentions club-by-club