Rochdale Hornets news

Rochdale Hornets take on Barrow Raiders at Spotland Stadium on Saturday evening

Rochdale Hornets take on Barrow Raiders at Spotland Stadium on Saturday evening in what is set to be a thriller of game.

Hornets bounced back from the disappointing opening day defeat to Oldham by beating the Gloucester All Golds on the road on Saturday whilst the Raiders brushed aside Swinton Lions at home on Saturday evening.

The scene is set and the year 7 Rochdale Schools Cup final between Wardle High School and St Cuthberts High Schools will warm up the crowd.

Online advance tickets only £12 adults, £10 concessions and £1 children or call 01706 648004.

Pre match dining is still available for this match priced at £25 (£10 season ticket holders/juniors) which includes a 2 course meal, match tickets and tea and coffee in the hospitality lounge, as well as a visit for the captain’s pre match.

Millard Re-Signs

Rochdale Hornets have re-signed Ryan Millard for 2015, but sadly he won’t pull on a Hornets shirt this season.

Instead, the Fijian International has signed up to become a member of the supporter owned Hornets.

The Rugby League World Cup player top scored for Hornets in 2014 after becoming the latest Fijian in a long line to play for Rochdale and Ryan is delighted to sign up as a member of the fan owned Hornets.

“I really enjoyed my time with the Hornets and I was sad to leave.

“I keep up-to-date with the goings on the club's website and I thought, why not become a member and give a little back?

“I signed up online and got my Hornets Family card through the post so I now get the newsletters and I’m looking forward to watching a bit of game footage as well.

“I was honoured to play for the Hornets and now I’m honoured to be a member and co-owner of the club, even though I’m thousands of miles away in Australia.”

Rochdale Hornets is a fully supporter owned rugby league club. Anyone who has any interest in the club as a supporter, ex-player or just a general Rochdale rugby league fan should sign up as a member for as little as £20 and own an equal share of the club.

No member has more than one  share, regardless of how much they choose to donate, meaning they have an equal say, and every member can put themselves forward to be on the board as well as vote on key decisions.

Ladies back in action

The Rochdale Hornets Ladies start their season this weekend with a tricky home fixture against Wigan St Patrick's Ladies.

The Ladies have had a tough pre-season up to now as the cup heroics of winter team Whitworth Warriors have limited the contact time coach Rob Rigby has had with his players.

Last week's proposed opener with Oulton Raiders has been put back to a later date and the team is now ready to kick off the summer season on Sunday (2pm KO, Firgrove).

Coach Rigby should have some experienced ladies to call upon following close season signings to complement the younger members of the squad.

The team is always on the lookout for new players and no experience is necessary. Training takes place at Oulder Hill Leisure Centre (astro turf) on Mondays, 7-8pm.

Tap2- Help and Advice evening

Any members or supporters that require any support regarding booking tickets, updating their details or logging into the new Tap2 ticketing system help is at hand.

This evening (Tuesday 14 April) the club offices will be open from 4.30pm until 7.30pm for supporters to either call in or phone (01706 648004) and we will be able to provide talk through, help and advice direct from Tap2 staff to help resolve any teething issues encountered.

People can also to renew their memberships over the phone.

If anyone is having any difficulties they can email info@tap2.co.uk at any time for help and support.

**Please note that as the Dale are at home there will be no car parking at the stadium**

Boardroom Update

The board of Rochdale Hornets would like to invite any members of the club who believe they could make a difference to get in touch ASAP.

Since the last election, Richard Hobson has stepped down from the club board and fellow director Mick Johnson has recently moved to Malta, leaving potential vacancies available to be filled immediately.

The club is not planning a mid-term election, as the board can operate with as few as four elected directors, but is looking at potentially co-opting any members who they feel could continue the club's development.

The club particular interested to here from younger members (aged 16-25), those with good local business links, members with any retail experience and those interested in general fund raising activities.

All board positions are voluntary and attendance at monthly board meetings as well as being able to commit a reasonable level of time around work commitments is vital.

If you are interested please email info@hornetsrugbyleague.com no later than 5pm on Monday 20 April outlining your interest or requesting a call back for more information/informal chat.

Supporter Ownership Week (11-18 April)

Rochdale Hornets is part of a nationwide campaign launched last Saturday that celebrates ownership of football and rugby league clubs by their supporters and their communities.

The campaign has been put together by Supporters Direct, the organisation that helps supporters become involved in the ownership of their clubs.

A crowdfunding campaign is already running alongside the campaign, where you can donate to raise money for SD to provide more support for supporter ownership in the future. http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/supporter-ownership-week

There are around 60 matches involving supporter-owned clubs during the week, almost every supporter-owned club being in action. SD has created a special Matchfinder service so that you can watch a match at your local supporter owned club: http://www.supporters-direct.org/supporter-ownership-week/match-finder.

During the next seven days there will also be a series of other events across the country and online, including:

• ‘Unsung Heroes’ will celebrate the work of volunteers at supporter owned clubs. Clubs will be asked to nominate a volunteer at their club who they think deserves special recognition, to showcase to the public those people that make supporter ownership just that little bit special.
• A series of online Q&A’s with industry experts, including; Julian Tagg (Chief Executive, Exeter City FC), Spencer Harris (Director, Wrexham FC) and Gareth Evans (Marketing & Media Director, Hunslet Hawks) 

Further information can be found on the Crowdfunder website:

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/supporter-ownership-week

Supporter ownership plays an important role in SD’s core work to ensure that supporters have a voice at their clubs, alongside that of establishing supporters’ trusts and campaigning for changes in the rules to benefit the supporters and communities that sustain all clubs.