Oldham set for TV exposure

CLUBS in rugby league’s second and third tiers, including Oldham, are looking forward to regular TV coverage in 2012 thanks to the RFL’s new deal with pay-to-watch Premier Sports.

More than 30 Championship, Championship One and Northern Rail Cup games will go out live in the coming season, plus four additional matches, details of which will be announced in the New Year.

Matches will mainly be switched to Thursday nights and some of them may be screened as double-headers.

One game from the Co-operative Championship or Championship One will be shown live from each of the regular rounds and at least three play-off clashes will be televised as well as both grand finals.

For every fan who buys a season ticket with Premier Sports £10 will go to the club of their choice.

At least four clubs will be coming to Oldham to experience Whitebank for the first time — Featherstone Rovers and Dewsbury Rams in the Northern Rail Cup and Barrow Raiders and North Wales Crusaders in Championship One.

Roughyeds will also break new ground when they take on Crusaders at Wrexham on Sunday, June 10.

Tony Benson and his squad will be doing more travelling than ever before with two trips to Neath in South Wales, three visits to Cumbria to do battle with Barrow, Whitehaven and Workington plus treks to London (Skolars) and Tyneside (Gateshead Thunder).