Bradford Bulls and Championship rivals hope to entice next generation

Whether it is people deriding it for being the ‘M62 game’, administration decisions leaving people scratching their heads, and clubs often finding themselves in financial strife, it can end up in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Another criticism regularly levelled at the game is its ageing fanbase and a lack of appeal to the next generation.

But thanks to a band of clubs this term, lovers and defenders of the sport will be hoping that negative is soon a thing of the past.

Barrow have handed out season tickets in schools, Batley are ensuring kids can go free, Widnes have introduced a ‘Pay it Forward scheme to allow adults to donate money to pay for a child season ticket, while Swinton are offering several packages for those aged 16 and under.

And Bradford Bulls are doing all they can to welcome the next generation to Odsal too.

Not only have they also handed out season tickets in schools and confirmed that “kids will go free in 2023”, but they are looking to make every home game a real event, starting at home to Whitehaven tomorrow in their Betfred Championship opener.

Last year's game at Odsal against Whitehaven saw just 2,670 fans attend, a number Bulls are hoping to surpass with ease tomorrow. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

Bradford CEO Jason Hirst said: “The more people who come through the gates the better.

“We recognise we have a loyal fanbase, who come week in, week out to support us, and we want to look after those people.

“We also want to entice people back who are lapsed fans, but we equally want to bring through a new generation of fans, particularly children.

“They might not always come back, but some will.

“We want to be more diverse too, so we don’t just want to attract those from the surrounding area of South Bradford and just down Cleckheaton Road.

“Bradford is massive, and it’s the youngest city in Europe I’m led to believe.

“There’s a whole new fanbase out there, so it’s the Bradford Bulls’ job to engage with these people and get them into the ground.

“Rugby league is a family sport, and we’ve got lots going on tomorrow.

“We have the Punjabi Roots Academy, who are a drumming band, face-painting, inflatables, free giveaways, cheerleaders, flags and an opening ceremony.

“We’ve also invited all the Bradford rugby league community clubs, and we’re going to celebrate them.

“We want a party atmosphere and to appeal to new fans, as well as spread the word about rugby league.

Bulls held an Armed Forces Day when they hosted Dewsbury last season, so have experience of putting off-field events on on matchdays. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“It also makes good business sense, because children who come along are fans of the next generation.

“They come to the ground, spend money, and have a good time, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Asked about the importance of making Odsal matchdays an event, Hirst said: “We typically play on a Sunday afternoon at three o’clock and there’s so much competition.

“That doesn’t just come from other rugby league clubs, there’s football on Sky, there’s the cinema, walks in the park, meals out, going to the pub etc, so there’s plenty of things people can be doing on a Sunday afternoon.

“We want to make it a Sunday afternoon of entertainment at Odsal, not just 80 minutes on the field of play.

“We want to appeal to people of all ages and give value for money.”

Talking about how Bulls were able to make free tickets for juniors viable, Hirst explained: “We make it work because we’re running the club professionally, as a business on sustainable terms.

“That has allowed us to offer those junior tickets for free all season.

“We didn’t just do it on a whim, we looked at the advantages, which is kids coming to Odsal in a safe environment and us gaining new fans.

“We also had to look at the constructives, like the fact we won’t be getting cash because of the offer, but on balance, we undoubtedly believe this is the way to go.

“It’s not gone unnoticed that other rugby league clubs have followed suit on this.

“Our strapline is "kids go free in 2023", and that’s Under-18s, so anyone in that bracket, in Bradford, can come to Odsal each time we’re here and watch for free.”

It is hardly a surprise the Bulls are so invested in the next generation, given the importance they place on their academy.

It is something the club remain very proud of, even if the current situation means things are tricky.

Jason Hirst was actually Bulls' academy and youth director before taking over as CEO. (Image: @OfficialBullsRL.)

Hirst said: “People might not realise that for us to run an elite academy, which we do at the moment, albeit a temporary one, costs well in excess of £100,000.

“That £100,000 we have to find ourselves, we don’t get that money from the RFL.

“Short-term the burden is on us, but we get great support.

“BullBuilder are loyal fans of ours who work tirelessly to raise money specifically for the academy and scholarship sides.

“We also launched our “Friends of the Young Bulls” initiative, which is £10 a month.

“That wasn’t aimed at those fans who pay to come to games week in, week out, more fans who used to come and have lapsed.

“We know we’re in the middle of an economic crisis, and that £10 a month is a lot of money, but for some it won’t be, so we try to raise money that way.

“We had some take up on Friends of the Young Bulls, and to anyone who does contribute, thank you.

“For anyone out there who does want to support our scholarship and academy, those future stars of the club and the rugby league world, then please get in touch.

“It is a challenge, and utopia for me would be for someone to read this article, ring up, and tell me they want to sponsor our academy.

“It’s not beyond the bounds of possibility, but until such a time, we’ll keep working hard behind the scenes to keep generating money to continue to run the academy.

“The academy is vital to us and something we value highly.

“We’ve got Ryan Hunkin in recently as Head of Youth, and we’ve got an upcoming accreditation in April.

“We remain optimistic that, on the back of good work Ryan and others have done, we can get our academy licence reinstated.”

Bulls don’t just have one team of youngsters either, with the scale of the operation at the club remarkable given their status.

Hirst said: “We’re a part-time Championship club, and unlike anyone else in this league, and a lot of the Super League outfits, we run nine teams here.

“We have a first team, reserves, academy, scholarship, women’s, Physical Disability Rugby League, Learning Disability Rugby League, wheelchair and women’s under-19s. That’s a massive financial commitment.

Bulls Women celebrate beating Leigh on the final day of Super League 2 last season to confirm a spot in the play-off semi-finals, where they lost to Warrington. (Image: @WomenBulls.)

“People might ask why we don’t just run one side like a lot of clubs and just pump all our money into that?

“But we feel that’s short-term thinking. If we pumped all our money into the first team, but lost all our other sides, it might get us into Super League short-term, but it wouldn’t help us stay there.

“We want to build this club on a strong financial base, and equally, we want to have an infrastructure here.

“In many ways we are a Super League club, given the number of sides we run, but we’re not Super League at first-team level.”

Someone who will soon be a Super League first-teamer is George Flanagan Jr, who will be joining Huddersfield Giants from Bulls ahead of the 2024 campaign.

On that deal, Hirst said: “He’s obviously still under contract for this season, and under the RFL rules, we’d have been entitled to compensation still if he’d left at the end of his deal.

“We recognised as a club that he’s a special talent, and we sat with him, his father and his agent to speak about his future.

“We made a good offer to try and keep him at Bradford, but he wanted to take up a chance in Super League instead.

“He had a lot clubs interested in him, but once it became clear George wanted to play in the top flight, it was about letting him choose where he wanted to go, which was Huddersfield.

“We had a desire, once we knew he was leaving, that we got a good deal for Bradford Bulls.

“We wouldn’t have got a transfer fee if he’d just left after his contract ran out, so we negotiated with Huddersfield and got a sizeable sum for him.

George Flanagan Jr, alongside his dad after Bulls' friendly at Leeds last Sunday, looks set to achieve great things in rugby league. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“I won’t disclose the figure, as is the norm in this sport, but it’s significantly more than the money we’d have received if his contract had run out.

“What’s really key is that we reinvest that money into our academy.”

Whether it be players or supporters, it is clear that Bulls, and a growing number of clubs, are placing real importance on the next generation.

And if we want this sport to be a success and popular for years to come, it is the only way to go.