Roughyeds on look-out for cup tie venue

Oldham's regular Vestacare Stadium home

Oldham can’t play their big fifth-round Challenge Cup tie against Super League’s Hull KR at the Vestacare Stadium.

The Rugby Football League ruling came as no surprise to the Roughyeds, who have been given special dispensation to use Vestacare for Betfred League 1 games even though it hasn’t enough seats to match minimum requirements.

The tie, scheduled for the weekend of April 21 and 22, will have to be played somewhere else.

Said Roughyeds chairman Chris Hamilton: “We knew we couldn’t play Super League opposition at the Vestacare Stadium so the RFL’s confirmation about the Hull KR tie having to go somewhere else came as no surprise.

“Apart from other matters, the capacity at Vestacare was always going to be an issue for a cup-tie as attractive as this one.

“We’ve got to play elsewhere so we are currently looking at all options.”

Two years ago Roughyeds pulled off one of the Challenge Cup’s biggest-ever upsets when they beat Hull KR 36-22 at Craven Park in the Robins’ first Challenge Cup outing since their Wembley defeat by Leeds Rhinos in the 2015 final.