There will be a strong police presence at the inaugural Cheltenham Rugby Festival on Friday 2 May – but in the dignitaries’ seats. Alongside the spa town’s Mayor, Councillor John Rawson and Martin Horwood MP, who will present respectively the All Golds Cup and 1908 Cup, will be Martin Roddy MBE an Executive Support officer with Gloucestershire Constabulary.
Roddy has served the Gloucestershire Police and the Community with distinction for many years and, as an avid fan of Warrington Wolves, had no hesitation in supporting and funding the 1908 Cup for local schools: “I’m really happy to be able to provide financial and other help for the schools element of the Festival. Rugby League has a great future in the county of Gloucestershire."
Festival Director and BBC Super League Show producer, Neal Coupland has referred to the Festival guest list as “a fine balance of law and order". This is reinforced following the appointment of Gloucestershire CID officer Trevor Moss as Event Manager.
A lifelong St Helens supporter, Trevor was one of the key figures in the phenomenal rise of the Summer Rugby League Conference when, as administrator, he assisted Lionel Hurst and the RFL in charting the fledgling competition’s early formative years.
After a period away from the game, he is delighted to be back in the sport he admires and thinks that: “The Festival has all the ingredients to become a firm favourite with all followers of the greatest game."
Ken Jennings and Angie Rowlands of the Cheltenham Borough Council’s Tourist Information Centre are fully behind the Festival. “We are very happy to be part of this historical innovation and have no doubt that all is set fair for a colourful and vibrant future for the Cheltenham Rugby Festival."
"Everything is in place for a great and entertaining day on Friday 2 May,” commented Tourism Manager Angie.
The Festival hosts are Cheltenham Rugby Union Club whose Prince of Wales Stadium will see over 100 local schoolchildren and players from around the world congregate for the event and club Chairman Steve Ratcliffe states: "We have had a good relationship with Rugby League for many years and are naturally very pleased that we were selected to host the Festival.
“Our wish is that it will become a major annual event and will also bring about the creation of the Cheltenham club's own Rugby League team to play in the summer months alongside our excellent winter Rugby Union side."
Thus the scene is set for a packed day of rugby league in Regency Cheltenham - the Festivals capital of the country.
The Festival gets underway at 1pm with nine local schools battling for the 1908 Cup before, at 6pm, the All Golds Cup competition starts with eight senior teams contesting the spoils.
The entry fee for the Festival is £5 for adults, £1 for children and there is ample free parking by the Prince of Wales Stadium.
Further information can be found on the Cheltenham Borough Council’s web page: http://www.cheltenham.gov.uk/libraries/templates/index.asp.
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Chris Wilson
Media Manager, Gloucestershire Warriors RLFC
Tel: +44 (0)1684 850903
Mobile: + 44 (0)7905 931033
Email: gloswarriors2004@aol.com
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The Gloucestershire Rugby League is an organisation for local rugby league clubs in Gloucestershire. Our main activity currently is to promote rugby league through the County and give useful information about our sport to the public of Gloucestershire.
