Oldham
One of the Club’s strengths is
its Junior section. While it may not
have the numbers of some rival
Clubs, it does have teams from
under 11s through to under 18s,
all with good player numbers, and
the coaching team for the Juniors
consists of a mix of current and
retired players, bringing excellent
experience to the development of
the younger players.
In 2017/18, Oldham will also
be introducing a minis session on
Saturday mornings, mainly focusing on
the recruitment of children from ages five to
eight. Like all Clubs, there is always a challenge
for Oldham in retaining Juniors as they reach open age
rugby due to many factors. But there is a steady throughput
of a handful of players, some of which challenge for first team
places immediately, while others progress into the second and
third teams.
The jewel in the crown of Oldham’s new developments
however is its senior Ladies side. The team was formed in
January 2017, and since then they have trained consistently
and played a number of development games, initially
combined with other local development sides, and latterly as a
full Oldham squad.
There are currently eighteen Lady players training and
playing regularly, and Oldham are hoping to recruit at least
another eight players in coming months to secure a strong
squad. They have not joined a league yet, but already have
eighteen fixtures arranged for the forthcoming season. Recent
performances have been very promising, and Oldham looks
forward to seeing some really good results from the new team.
In addition to rugby, Oldham RUFC is also a hub for other
community activity. It has a busy car boot sale every Sunday
morning, a function room for hire which has bookings on
most weekends, a number of raised
growing beds which are used as a
community food growing area,
large car parking areas which
are used for motorcycle training
during the week, and a superb
estate which is used for charity
events and music festivals in the
Summer months.
The Club has a good relationship
with its local community, and makes
regular donations to community-
based charities and fund-raising. The
Steward and staff provide excellent
customer service, and this contributes to
ongoing referrals and repeat bookings.
Oldham enjoys excellent facilities at the Manor Park
site. It has three pitches, and the first team pitch is one of the
best around, providing Winter fixtures when many other clubs
are calling off games due to inclement weather. This is partly
due to substantial investment in the pitch in recent years, but
also to the work and commitment of excellent Grounds and
Premises staff. There are also great opportunities for further
development of the facilities such as disabled facilities and
development of the terracing, depending on investment
opportunities in subsequent years.
All clubs are facing a number of challenges in the future;
player recruitment and retention is one of the key challenges
along with financial sustainability. Oldham is well positioned
though. It is a long established Club of well over one hundred
years of age, and it is still growing and ensuring it remains
relevant to its local communities. The Club looks forward to
continued success in the coming years, and hopes to leave an
excellent legacy for the next generation of rugby players in
Oldham.
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