Following the news that ‘Benidorm Bash’ event would not go ahead, Castleford Tigers and Oldham have released a joint statement to explain the situation.
Oldham broke the news on X, formerly Twitter, as chairman Bill Quinn released a five-minute statement saying that, due to a lack of communication between the event organisers and the two clubs, there was no choice but to withdraw from the fixture.
The event was scheduled to be held on January 6-10, and with just over a month to go, there was still no formal clarification on the precise details of when, where and what time the game would have taken place.
Joining the two clubs on the tour were going to be the Valencia Hurricanes, who Castleford faced last season in a game of reduced contact, and amateur side Kippax, who were going to be involved in both the scheduled nines tournament and a 13-a-side game.
The two sides have confirmed that a pre-season friendly will take place before the season gets underway, with the formalities of that being discussed between the two.
The joint statement reads in full:
“Oldham Rugby League and Castleford Tigers learned yesterday, via email communications sent directly to supporters, that ORLFC have apparently withdrawn from the Benidorm Bash Festival.”
“Both clubs would like to make clear the decision to cancel the fixture, set to take place on January 10, has been taken by its organisers.”
“We understand the significant frustration both sets of supporters have experienced as a result of the organisers’ actions.”
“For clarity, neither ORLFC or Castleford have received any monies from ticket sales, with supporters urged to contact Benidorm Bash for refunds.”
“Both ORLFC and Castleford intend for the fixture to go ahead, instead taking place in the UK, at a rescheduled date to be confirmed.”
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