Following the liquidation of Bradford Bulls earlier this month, the Rugby Football League have agreed a deal for a new rugby league team based in Bradford to commence life in the Kingstone Press Championship for the start of the 2017 season on 5th February 2017.
After a brief bidding process for the rights to incorporate the new club, former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers and ex-Wigan coach Graham Lowe have been announced as the owners of the newly formed club. A company named Bradford Bulls 2017 Limited was incorporated on 13 January 2017 and it is anticipated that this entity will be the operating company for the new team. The newly formed company is wholly owned by the New Zealand registered company The Orcas Rugby League Limited, which is associated with Chalmers and Lowe.
Details of the agreed deal have not been revealed other than to confirm that any new club must start the season on minus 12 league points and they will receive a reduced level of central funding. Whether or not the new club will be allowed to adopt the old name of Bradford Bulls is also as yet to be confirmed.
This article by Phil Bonner about the liquidation of Bradford Bulls appeared on our sports law blog, Sports Shorts last week
The Liquidation of Bradford Bulls: a red rag to financial mismanagement?
