A rugby club Featherstone Rovers are reported to owe close to £3 million after entering administration, placing the historic Rugby League club’s future in doubt. It is understood that players, HMRC and unsecured creditors are unlikely to recover any of the money owed to them. Despite the scale of the financial problems, efforts are ongoing behind the scenes to revive the club in time for a return to competition in the 2027 season.

The West Yorkshire side, who had competed continuously in professional Rugby League since 1921, are absent from this year’s Championship after the Rugby Football League (RFL) refused their membership application. As a result, the remaining squad members were released and became free agents.

The company behind the club formally entered administration in December following mounting financial pressures. This came after HMRC issued a winding-up petition in September.

A proposed takeover bid involving former chairman Mark Campbell was submitted before the governing body’s deadline but failed to satisfy the RFL’s criteria. The club was then denied membership and excluded from the 2026 competition structure.

Administrator Andrew Rosler is now in discussions with various interested parties in an attempt to secure a sustainable future for the club.

According to Insider Media: “The club’s most recently filed accounts, covering the year to November 2023, show turnover of £1.68 million and a loss of £891,205. Draft 2024 accounts state that turnover was £1.66 million with a loss of £953,524.

“A review of accounting software found that claims against the club were expected to total at least £2.98 million.

“Following the appointment, the administrator found that neither players nor employees had been paid since prior to the presentation of the winding-up petition, while there were also discrepancies between the number of contracted players on the company’s records and the number registered with the RFL.”

The report also outlined ongoing communication with key stakeholders. Insider Media quoted the administrator’s report as saying: “While the Rugby Football League has terminated membership, the administrator has spent a significant amount of time in correspondence with the Rugby Football League, the local council, various parties interested in applying for membership and other stakeholders in order to secure a future for the club.

“The Rugby Football League is still accepting applications for membership and the administrator is continuing to liaise with all parties to make sure that Featherstone Rovers have a team competing in the Championship in time for the 2027 season.”

While secured creditors are expected to receive a distribution from available funds, there is unlikely to be enough remaining to compensate secondary preferential creditors, including former staff, HMRC and other unsecured parties.

Featherstone’s difficulties come at a challenging time for Rugby League more broadly. A number of clubs across the professional and semi-professional pyramid have faced financial strain in recent years, driven by rising operational costs, fluctuating attendances, and increased reliance on central funding and broadcast income.