Bradford businesswoman Kate Hardcastle has spoken of her passion for the Bulls and told the club’s new owners: “I’m here if you need me.”
Hardcastle, who grew up on the terraces of Odsal , has been linked to a potential role in the new set-up under Gerry Sutcliffe and Omar Khan and hailed as a potential “Karren Brady of rugby league”.
She has won over 20 professional awards for her marketing, media and charity work, including the Outstanding Business Woman in Yorkshire & Humberside.
Hardcastle, born in Huddersfield but raised in Bradford and owner of The Charity Dreamgirls, first spoke to the Bulls about helping the club after news of the financial crisis broke in late March.
She told the Telegraph & Argus: “Bradford Bulls is a part of me so of course I would be happy to consider a role at the club.
“I went to my first match aged three and my grandparents lived opposite Odsal.
“I played rugby league for many years as a teenager and the Bulls means a lot to me and my family – it’s part of our heritage.
“I went to Odsal recently and naturally thought ‘God, I’d love to get involved here, I know I could make a difference and I know I could make this work.’
“I have the empathy of the fans because I am one. I’ve grown up with Bradford Bulls and have been through the highs and lows.
“I even ran out on the pitch as the club’s mascot back in the eighties against Australia.”
Apprentice star Karren Brady rose to prominence as managing director of Birmingham City Football Club and is currently vice-chairman at West Ham United.
Hardcastle added: “Karren Brady is inspiring when you look at what she has achieved in football.
“I went into the Bulls to speak to the previous regime about ways in which I could help out when the problems first became apparent earlier this year.
“I had several conversations but it was a lost cause at the time and I haven’t yet had any direct links with the new owners.
“They will have their own wish-list but if I feel like there is an opportunity there that is crying out for me then I will pick up the phone.
“I run my own business and it’s a massive organisation so any role would have to depend on the operating structure that they want to set up and what expertise they need.
“For me the title wouldn’t be important. It would be importance of getting that club back with a plan that I believe is deliverable, realistic and take the Bulls back to the top. That’s what the supporters deserve.”
Sutcliffe and Khan are waiting for their takeover to be ratified by the Rugby Football League and will then seek to secure the club’s Super League licence, which has two years to run but which was effectively forfeited when the Bulls went into administration in June.
Honorary chairman Sutcliffe said yesterday that putting a structure in place was difficult due to the lingering uncertainty over the Bulls’ top-flight status, with a decision expected within the next week.
Sutcliffe explained: “Obviously it’s difficult to make plans while we’re waiting on confirmation of our Super League status.
“The indications are that we’re in a good position. But we need to know sooner rather than later because we have season tickets to sell and need to start shaping the squad, staff and coaching team for next year.”
Meanwhile, Adrian Purtell will visit a sports cardiologist at St George’s Hospital in London tomorrow for tests which could determine whether he is able to resume his playing career.
The Australian centre, 27, has been sidelined since a heart attack suffered in the aftermath of the Magic Weekend defeat to Leeds in May.
Purtell told the T&A: “I’ll have an ECG and other stress tests to see how my heart responds, get the results and then talk things through with the club doctor and Mick (Potter).
“Health-wise I’m feeling pretty good but I’ll take all the information on board after I've go the results and make a decision from there.
“I signed a three-year deal with the Bulls and was planning on staying for those three years if not longer because I’ve loved it here.
“I’ve done this job since I was 17 when I joined Canberra Raiders – experiencing the awesome environment of gameday and hanging about with your best mates every day in the week.
“It’d be great to get out on the field again but my health is the most important thing.
“I don’t think I’d take it too good if I wasn’t able to play again but I’m living and I’ve got to be grateful for that.
“There could be other options out there for me – studying, working as a personal trainer and other job opportunities – and I’ve got a manager who I speak to on the phone all the time. I'll hopefully know more pretty soon.”
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