Roughyeds Women have lift-off

Ben Marsden has been working alongside team manager Natalie Howarth

Oldham's new women's team is submitting an application to the RFL to join the competitive league structure as early as 2026, less than two months after its launch.

Roughyeds Women have already assembled a 28-strong playing roster after just five training sessions at the club's Netpar Training Centre, boasting a mixture of experienced and international stars alongside new local talent inspired to pick up a rugby ball for the very first time.

“We are confident that we can be in a league structure next year and play competitive rugby and our application is currently being put to the RFL," head coach Ben Marsden told Roughyeds TV.

“The commitment from the players who have come down is fantastic to see, there has been a massive buy-in locally and attracted various experiences with some who haven’t played before and some with long CVs.”

Marsden confirmed that alongside team manager Natalie Howarth, the aim was to guide the team straight into Women’s Northern League 2, where they hope to go up against the likes of Rochdale Mayfield, Ashton Bears, and Thatto Heath Crusaders.

New players are welcome to try out at sessions on a Monday night at the Netpar facility, with the likes of current Jamaica captain Darcey Price leading the ambitious project on the field. 

"We have built up a strong bank of coaches with so much experience, put together a plan for what the next two years may look like and looked at recruitment and sponsorship - we are further on than we expected we would be," said Howarth.

"We are fortunate to have had the backing of everyone from the directors down, and that has not only allowed us to get this off the ground but to move it on as fast as we have done.

"We are all part of the same team and it is important that we keep moving forwards."

Meanwhile, Boundary Park will also host a War of the Roses women's fixture between Lancashire and Yorkshire on October 18, with an under-13s curtain-raiser featuring Waterhead girls. 

Entry is free.

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