A consortium led by Mike Ford, father of England fly-half George, has acquired his hometown rugby league club, Oldham.
The club, renowned for its rich history in the sport, revealed that Ford senior, who had previously played for and coached the team, had taken over along with a group of local entrepreneurs.
With Oldham having struggled in recent times, the 57-year-old Ford pledged to deliver a promising and stimulating future for the former Super League outfit.
“We are really excited about the future of the Roughyeds,” Ford said.
“It’s close to all our hearts and we know the importance of a vibrant, thriving Oldham Rugby to the town and its people.
“We certainly don’t take our responsibility as club custodians lightly and it’s our vision to give the people of Oldham a rugby league club they can be proud of. A club that they are excited and inspired by and one that they can identify with.
“We cannot wait to get started.”
“No Marcus Smith” – How England would line-up under Andy Farrell
Andy Farrell praised the joined-up thinking of Irish rugby and insisted he has no reason to return home for a job in England.
Since being sacked by the RFU after the 2015 World Cup, Farrell has forged a reputation as one of the game’s leading coaches, steering Ireland to No 1 in the world rankings.
England made enquiries about bringing him back to Twickenham when Eddie Jones was sacked, but was told where to go by their former employee.
Below, we take a look at the team we think Farrell would name considering his current Ireland selection.
How England would line-up under Andy Farrell:
Back-three:
#15. Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers)
#14. Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
#11. Jack Nowell (Exeter Chiefs)
Centre:
#13. Elliot Daly (Saracens)
#12. Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
