A NATIONAL Rugby league museum will now not be opening in Bradford City Hall - despite four years' of planning.

The grand civic building was named as the future site of the proposed museum, which would house rugby league’s extensive collections and historic artefacts, in 2016.

But it has now been announced that the charity behind the museum - Rugby League Cares, is looking for a new location for the attraction.

Lengthy delays to the project and failed funding bids have been blamed for the plan being dropped.

In September 2016 it was revealed that Bradford had beat off competition from other cities and towns across the country to be chosen as the home of the museum.

Delay to £500,000 museum cuts as Bradford bids for culture status

It would be tied in with a plan to open up parts of City Hall to the wider public.

Initially it was announced that the museum, described as a "world class attraction," would open in August 2020.

However, in 2018 a bid for Lottery Funding to help pay for the museum was unsuccessful.

This was later pushed back to Autumn 2021 - to coincide with the Rugby league World Cup.

Last year Bradford bulls announced they would no longer play home games in Bradford - leaving the city without a Rugby League team.

Despite this the Council said creating the museum was still a "top priority."

Yesterday Rugby League Cares announced it would re-open the application process for towns and cities to bid to host the museum.

A statement from the charity said: "Since we entered into the partnership with Bradford City Council in 2016, we have all invested considerable resource, time and energy into the project but, sadly, the museum remains some way off.

“We recognise that much has changed since 2016 and that we need to look again at where is the best location for the National Rugby League Museum.”

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Executive Member at Bradford Council said: “Rugby League Cares has decided to re-tender their proposal to work with a partner organisation to develop their new National Museum.

“Rugby League Cares selected Bradford Council as the host partner for the new National Rugby League Museum in 2016, however following an unsuccessful bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund in 2018, Rugby League Cares wishes to check if there are any other opportunities which may have come forward in the intervening period prior to making a commitment.

“Bradford Council is disappointed with Rugby League Cares decision, but we can understand why they wish to take this opportunity to review their position.

“We will support Rugby League Cares in any way it can to deliver its new National Museum, and if a suitable location can be identified Bradford would be interested in re-bidding for the new National Rugby League Museum.”

Si Cunningham, Chair of Bradford Civic Society, said: “It’s obviously a bit of a blow that the Rugby League Museum will no longer be part of the City Hall museum plan, but perhaps it will present an opportunity to properly reassess Bradford’s cultural and heritage offer – especially with our City of Culture bid in mind.

“I hope that an alternative site for the Rugby League Museum in Bradford can be considered, as we have plenty of appropriate sites.

"In the meantime, once we move out of this difficult lockdown period, I hope people will continue to support the brilliant independent museums and galleries we already have in Bradford, such as the Police Museum, Impressions Gallery, and the Peace Museum to name just a few.”