Chairman's Christmas message

Merry Christmas to everyone who is part of our Rochdale Hornets family, and those in our surrounding communities and wider rugby league fraternity.

As we celebrate this joyful season, I want to take a moment to reflect on what makes our club so special. Christmas is a time for unity, gratitude, and celebration, and the board and I are incredibly thankful for each one of you—players, coaches, supporters, sponsors, staff and volunteers that help keep this club on the right track.

As we head into the festive season, let us also remember those who are less fortunate during this time, and those who are no longer with us, but will undoubtedly be watching down and supporting us from above.

Looking ahead to the new year, I am excited about what’s to come for our club. Together, we will continue to grow, improve, and strive for success in every aspect. With the continued support of all our staff, volunteers, players, coaches and community, I’m confident we will continue to improve on all fronts.

From the professional game and our men’s team perspective, we have been busier than usual this closed season. With 2025 falling short of our goals and expectations, coupled with the merger into a single division outside the Betfred Super League in 2026, we have had plenty of work to do and had to reset.

With the above in mind, Gary and I sat down before the 2025 season ended and identified several areas for improvement, including required changes in terms of facilities, coaching, and performance staff. We identified a retention and recruitment strategy to ensure we retained as many of our talented young players as possible, whilst adding more young talent and some experience to try and get the balance right with an underlying philosophy of good people doing good things. 

While we understand initially it's a step up in quality and will be tough competing against some clubs with much bigger fan bases and financial resources, this structure gives ambitious, progressive, but sensible and sustainably run clubs like ours the opportunity to build and progress in the medium to long term.

We are ready to embrace the challenge. It will not be easy, but it's our goal to be the very best version of Rochdale Hornets we can be. The mandate is a simple one: to be the very best we can be in every training session and in each and every game we play. It's early days, but from what I’m seeing of this staff and refreshed group, I’m quietly optimistic, and I know they will be giving everything for you, our supporters and for the Hornets shirt.

Bigger picture, in an exciting next chapter for our Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation, in October we officially took ownership and launched the second part of the venture and vision at 'The Hive' at the Million Pavilion – our friendly, vibrant community café and flexible event space right next to the beautiful Balderstone Park.

I'd urge everyone to pop in and relax in a warm, welcoming atmosphere with delicious breakfasts, homemade lunches, speciality coffees, cakes and a full range of hot and cold drinks. Whether you’re meeting friends, working remotely, or just fancy a quiet moment with a great brew, Becky and the team would love to see you!

In the evenings and at weekends, as well as being a training and match day sporting venue for us, 'The Hive' transforms into one of Rochdale’s most affordable and versatile hire spaces. Run in partnership by our Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation and HMR Circle, we are making a positive community impact, helping local groups, clubs, classes, workshops and community events thrive.

It was in my Christmas message last year that we announced a commitment from the board to take on the operating cost and oversee the management and development of a meaningful women’s team with a realistic ambition of Super League in the years to come. 

12 months in, we can now reflect on a year of success. Promotion to the Women’s Northern League One after getting the better of local rivals Rochdale Mayfield 20-14 in the Women’s Northern League Two Grand Final at Odsal was a major highlight. Ben Bird’s side completed an unbeaten league season, and we are all proud of them and looking ahead to 2026 with excitement.

Under the stewardship of head coach Pete Hird, our wheelchair team once again made major progress and had its best season to date, winning league leaders and falling just short in the grand finale. As recently announced, Pete and his team will be competing in a new national eight-team Betfred Wheelchair Championship competition from the 2026 season onwards. I know this inspiring group will keep making us all proud, and we look forward to another big year ahead.

Commercially, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes, and we are engaging more businesses than ever before. But there is still work to do, and our club Director Carl Halstead put out a commercial update in November, and I would once again echo his message, “In order to spend more, we must generate more income and meet the targets we set”. 

With the above in mind, please, if you haven’t already done so, support your club with a season ticket, brick in the wall, shirt, merchandise or in any way you can, as success is a wider team effort, and by you, our loyal supporters, doing your best, it enables us to invest more and achieve more.

Finally, I close by wishing you all a peaceful and Merry Christmas. A huge thank you once again. Enjoy your break.

Onward Hornets!

- Andy