Batley Bulldogs chairman offers to host rugby league museum

The George Hotel in Huddersfield is regarded as the birthplace of rugby league

The chairman of a rugby league club has offered to host a national museum for the sport after plans to accommodate it in the game's birthplace were axed.

Huddersfield's George Hotel was chosen as the venue for a permanent museum in January 2020.

But Kirklees Council said it "would not be financially viable", and wanted to find another location in the town.

However, Batley Bulldogs' Kevin Nicholas has suggested hosting the museum at his club's stadium instead.

The George Hotel was the venue for a meeting involving more than 20 clubs on 29 August 1895.

They decided to set up the Northern Union, a game which went on to be known as rugby league.

Huddersfield fought off bids from Bradford, Leeds and Wigan to win the right to host the museum, with supporters arguing the venue had been central to the winning bid.

'Due consideration'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Nicholas made his offer as "an alternative for consideration" after Kirklees Council, the local authority in both towns, rejected the original proposal.

He said the only cost to a Batley project would be the creation of a building to house the collection at the club's Mount Pleasant stadium, which he said would be cheaper than adapting the 1850s hotel.

Batley's chairman said the club's stadium could be considered as the home of the museum

Mr Nicholas said hosting the museum would provide "a significant boost" to the town, and potentially lead to funding from government regeneration funding.

Rugby League Cares, the charity which will run the museum on behalf of the league, said it would give the proposal "due consideration".

Kirklees Council has said it "remains committed" to bringing the museum to Huddersfield and that plans to refurbish the George Hotel, which it owns, will include a "a fitting tribute to the birthplace of rugby league".