BRADFORD Bulls have expressed their delight that an agreeable solution has been found to allow the club to continue to run an Elite Academy.

They, along with Castleford and Hull KR, have been awarded a Probationary Elite Licence for an initial two-year period (2022-23) by the RFL, and their progress during that period will be kept under regular review.

Bulls chairman Nigel Wood said: “We have been working quietly behind the scenes to find a constructive way forward to continue to run our Elite Academy.

“We are pleased for our current cohort of players and parents, and for those in the future who may hold similar aspirations.

“While extremely traumatic, we now see the position as a great opportunity to improve even further.

“That is a challenge for us all, the whole rugby league family in Bradford, and one which I know we will rise to.”

Bulls added: “We will work even harder, with all of the rugby league community in the city and its surrounds to enable as many youngsters, girls and boys, to participate in our sport as we can.

“The answer to the question, which the RFL is trying to solve, is to have more U16s playing, which means more U15s and more U14s etc.

“There are some terrific examples with all our community clubs contributing to the player pool in the Bradford area.

“These include Birkenshaw Blue Dogs, Wibsey Warriors, Queensbury, Bradford Dudley Hill, Wyke, West Bowling, Clayton and Odsal Sedbergh, as well as the fantastic work done at Keighley Albion and Silsden Storm.

“We should also mark a note of caution. The revised financial support provided by the RFL is likely to be either removed completely or drastically cut.

“One of the Bulls core objectives is to provide hope and aspiration to the people of Bradford, particularly young people seeking to find a fulfilling career in rugby league.

“We will work collaboratively with all like-minded people and organisations.”