Bradford Bulls go into liquidation
Former Super League champions cease trading following years of financial struggle
Former Super League and world club champions Bradford Bulls have gone into liquidation, seven weeks after they went into administration for the third time in four years.
Players and staff have had their contracts terminated and the rugby league club has ceased trading, reports the Bradford Telegraph & Argus.
Administrators had hoped to agree a deal to save the Bulls by Christmas, but turned down a bid from a consortium led by former New Zealand Rugby League chairman Andrew Chalmers on 29 December. Interest from a second consortium fell through on Monday night, says The Guardian.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
However, there is a good chance that the club, who were relegated from the Super League in 2014, will be able to continue.
"The Rugby Football League are hopeful of a reformed club being put together within the next seven days, with the hope that they could begin the season as planned in the 2017 Championship," reports the Guardian. "Bradford are due to begin their campaign against Hull Kingston Rovers on 5 February but several parties have already expressed an interest in reforming the four-time Super League champions."
Bradford Bulls were one of the "most iconic" clubs in British rugby league, "having led the way when the sport switched to summer in 1996", says the BBC.
But the broadcaster adds that their "downfall has been swift": after winning four Super League finals between 1997 and 2003, they went into administration in 2012 and again in 2014, when they lost their top flight status.
They were in the hunt for promotion in 2015 but did not make the play-offs in 2016.
"It's an incredibly sad day for the sport both locally, and nationally, with the news of the Bulls' downfall," says James Deighton of BBC Radio Leeds. "We can only hope that there's a will and a way, to attempt to reform the club as happened in the 1960s.
"Having said that, when you consider that the recent administration is the club's third in four years, today's news may be an inevitable consequence of the instability at Odsal [Stadium] of late."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Man United finally lost patience with ten Hag
Talking Point After another loss United sacked ten Hag in hopes of success in the Champion's League
By The Week UK Published
-
Who are the markets backing in the US election?
Talking Point Speculators are piling in on the Trump trade. A Harris victory would come as a surprise
By The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 3, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published
-
Handball: swapping bikini bottoms for tight pants
Speed Read Women competitors will be required to ‘wear short tight pants with a close fit’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Cristiano Ronaldo’s second coming
Speed Read Last week, Manchester United re-signed the forward on a two-year deal thought to be worth more than £400,000 a week
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
‘Catastrophic’: Rugby League World Cup rocked by Australia and New Zealand withdrawal
Why Everyone’s Talking About Organisers of this year’s event in England now have a huge decision to make
By The Week Staff Published
-
Bank holidays and boycotts: are MPs trying to jinx England?
Speed Read Declaring a bank holiday would be ‘tempting fate’, says Boris Johnson
By The Week Staff Published
-
Weightlifting: Olympic Games set for transgender first
Speed Read New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard will make history at Tokyo 2020
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sport shorts: Champions League expansion plan to be agreed
Speed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Joachim Low and the Lions women’s team
By Mike Starling Published
-
Sport shorts: Sturgeon slams Rangers fans over title celebrations
Speed Read News and reactions from the world of sport, featuring Keely Hodgkinson and Bryson DeChambeau
By Mike Starling Published