A new project and club is set to launch this month developed by Coventry Bears owner Alan Robinson to ensure the continuation of the professional game and overcome current challenges facing rugby league.
Robinson has developed a new brand the Midlands Hurricanes which will take over from the Coventry Bears as the new name for professional rugby league in Betfred League One from next season. The Coventry Bears club and legacy built in the city will still continue to thrive alongside the new project which is aimed at taking the sport to new heights.
Robinson said: “It has become clear that we needed to diversify and develop a regional brand to sustain professional rugby league.”
“We have had limited opportunities to grow the club and needed to seek out new opportunities to grow the game and business. We needed to bring the game together across the region with the focus of the new club being a regionalised brand and club.”
“Local clubs across the Midlands will recognise the name as the Hurricanes was the original name for the elite player pathway ran by the RFL for a number of years in Loughborough. Now the club will relaunch this new flagship brand to lead the game forward into the future.”
Coventry Bears will continue to function under the Bears in the Community Foundation. The Bears will play in the Midlands regional competition with young and local players in 2022 and continue to develop new junior satellite clubs across the West Midlands with current junior clubs the Coventry Alphas, Trinity Knights and Erdington Griffins to support and underpin the Midlands Hurricanes professional development.
It goes without saying that without major investment this project would not have been possible in current times and after only one meeting this was found in Mike Lomas of Big Red Construction who will become chairman of the new Hurricanes club and be co-owner alongside Alan Robinson who will lead the club as CEO.
“I approached Mike through a mutual connection as a new sponsor to assist us in our campaign. I presented the Hurricanes concept and he could see the benefit it would bring the game so after some discussion we decided to take it forward together and create a new parent company with both of us at the helm.”
“This could allow us to continue to build the Coventry Bears legacy while reaching for the sky with the Hurricanes and grow the sport to new heights in the area. Mike shared my vision which could be the opportunity to build a sustainable brand for the expansion of the game and harness the power of a region with the whole sport behind us.”
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