BULLS are feeling ambitious ahead of their Betfred Championship opener against Whitehaven at Odsal on Sunday.

Not only are they seeking two points against their Cumbrian opponents to get their campaign off to a flying start, but they are seeking to break a crowd record.

The current record for the biggest opening day attendance in the second tier stands at 8,817, which was set when Hull KR hosted Bulls in February 2017, the East Yorkshire side winning that encounter 54-24 on their way to promotion back into Super League at the first attempt.

Bradford are aiming for a bigger crowd than that this weekend though, a big ask when the only one to surpass it at Odsal in recent memory was the Challenge Cup win over Leeds in 2019 in front of 10,258 supporters.

Yet there are several initiatives and special guests which Bradford are hoping will help them beat that Hull KR benchmark.

The main incentive for fans to turn up to Odsal on Sunday is that juniors will go free, with that being the case for all Bulls home games this year.

There are a range of giveaways taking place at the ground too, as well as inflatables and face-panting for the youngsters in attendance to enjoy.

The Punjabi Roots Academy dancers will be performing before the game too, while former Masters darts champion and 2022 Premier League finalist Joe Cullen will be at the game too.

Sunday marks the first time since 2019 that Bulls have begun their Championship campaign at Odsal, with them winning 17-16 against Featherstone Rovers in front of 6,025 fans on the opening day that year.