League giants seek Union move

13 April 2012

Rugby league heavyweights Wigan have joined Bradford in considering buying into rugby union, amid long-term moves to broaden the Zurich Premiership in the heartlands of the 13-man code.

With Leeds already running a dual-code operation, there are now real signs of the sports rejoining forces for the first time since The Great Schism of 1895, when 23 northern clubs broke away over the RFU's refusal to approve broken-time payments.

This latest interest coincides with informal cross-code talks aimed at expanding the Zurich Premiership to include at least three heavy-hitters from rugby league.

Wigan, owned by former Blackburn footballer Dave Whelan, one of Britain's richest men, have already made one abortive attempt to include union in their portfolio with a takeover bid for then-bankrupt Second Division club Orrell.

Chief executive Maurice Lindsay said: 'Our plan was to get them into the top flight. Unfortunately, it didn't happen but we have indicated our preparedness to invest in rugby union and we would have the financial power to join the big boys if the opportunity arose.

'We've had a taste of union having played Bath and taken part in the Middlesex Sevens. There's no doubt that the barriers between the codes have been broken down, as Leeds have shown at Headingley.'

Bradford, who have formed an alliance with Premiership triple champions Leicester, are already exploring the possibility of a similar league-union operation at Odsal.

Bulls chief executive Abi Ekoku said: 'There is a strong will within the club to look at the game of rugby generically. We have a working relationship with Leicester and a stadium development pending for Odsal. We're looking at a second stadium user and would like an oval-ball facility. Our biggest rivals, Leeds, operate as a dual-code club and there is the potential for us to follow suit.

'With an array of world-class players, the Bradford Bulls have built a very strong reputation in rugby. A club of our size, with average gates of more than 15,000, would like to be competitive from day one if we were to embark on anything like this.'

The latest moves will be seen by some as another step towards an ultimate re-unification of the sports.

That the games should be more similar today than at any time since the split is no surprise.

Former league figures such as Phil Larder, Joe Lydon, Ellery Hanley and Jason Robinson are centrally involved in the RFU's masterplan for English domination, based on the perilous assumption of restoring full diplomatic relations with their leading clubs.

MORE ABOUT

Blackburn Rovers

League giants seek Union move

Read More