Featherstone Rovers head coach Paul Cooke has released a statement to outline his desire in playing a role in the club’s rebirth.
Cooke has spent the last year in charge at Post Office Road but the RFL decision, which was announced on Friday, to deny the Flatcappers a membership for the new Championship season has seen his time at the club come to an end.
The decision came on the back of the club entering administration last month with the one party interested in taking the club on into the new season being rejected by the governing body.
Featherstone won’t be competing in the 2026 Championship then, news which is heartbreaking for everyone associated with the West Yorkshire club, and Cooke admits the decision was unexpected.
And, in a statement that sees the head coach express his true thoughts on the situation, he has confirmed that he would be more than willing to play a part in Featherstone being reborn so that it can bounce back in 2027. The head coach goes on that he would be to ‘lend support, advise or become part of any consortium’ with the return of a viable Featherstone club the end goal.
A statement released a several members of the media read: “The news on Friday, 9 January 2026 with confirmation from the Rugby Football League (RFL) not awarding a licence to Featherstone Rovers for the forthcoming 2026 Championship season is one that I wasn’t prepared for.
“As always with unexpected news, every single person with a vested interest in Featherstone Rovers will have an opinion. In most cases it results in the beginning of a social media blame game. I urge everyone to refrain from such behaviour. People will have their own views on what has gone wrong and who is to blame. I have always believed the truth will come out in the end and feel no different in this scenario. Social media blame game does not help and can cause more problems than solutions.
“My immediate overriding emotion is one of sadness for the players I coached last season, the staff I worked alongside and for the local community who I know live and breathe the club and provide support for the players on game days and nights. This will impact both the Featherstone community, local businesses and others who have lost financially the costs of Featherstone Rovers not starting a season for the first time since 1920.
“I think everyone connected with the club knows just how myself and my partner feel about our time at Featherstone. Whilst it was a turbulent season we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Featherstone and its community are great people and so many touched our hearts and we have made many friends for life.
“I think most of rugby league will understand the quote ‘if you do what you have always done, you will get the same result’.
“Whilst the news of Featherstone Rovers demise and not competing in this forthcoming season is heartbreaking, on the other hand I believe it offers an opportunity for new investment with fresh ideas and offers opportunity for the club to be rebuilt on solid foundations. Maybe the announcement from last Friday could have happened previously. A new beginning which has genuine people within the organisation can and will help the re-birth of Featherstone Rovers.
“I have been guided throughout the last few horrendous months of uncertainty by my legal counsel Richard Cramer who has a wealth of experience working in rugby league since 1994. Both Richard and myself would be able to provide any assistance to a newly formed Featherstone Rovers. We are happy to lend our support, advise or become part of any consortium which forms a solid re-birth of the club.
“Whilst everyone including myself has lots of unanswered questions, I’d rather focus on trying to find a solution. To that end I am still liaising with the RFL and to establish what it will take for a fresh bid to be submitted so that Featherstone Rovers can be reborn, play again and take its place in the RFL championship competition. After all, rugby league is the greatest game of all.
“Once again my thoughts are with the players, staff, fellow coaches, community and the greater people of Featherstone Rovers.
“As a final thought I refuse to believe the death of the Featherstone Rovers. It will exist again notwithstanding last week’s decision.”
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
John Dalton
January 12, 2026 at 6:27 pm
The real losers here are all the small businesses that are left out of pocket, and possibly out of business through the ineptitude of the previous owners. Don’t tell me that they didn’t know that they were in trouble – that’s pure bull…., no less. Also, the people who broke into the Rugby Club causing damage as well as stealing, things that they were not entitled to. Needless money, thrown down the drain. It’s no good being shocked etc, this all started a long time ago.
Who wants to dispose of their hard earned money this way?