Almost seven years have passed since Robbie Hunter-Paul left Bradford but his affiliation with the club runs deep.

When asked if the Bulls can survive their current financial crisis, the legendary New Zealander is unequivocal.

He said: “Bradford Bulls are an institution, so of course I’m confident. They were industry leaders in this country, not just in rugby but sport in general.

“They created practices, values and an identity for the club and had an approach that was completely unique. That’s why the Bulls became so popular and so famous.

“It wasn’t just the rugby league community that got behind them when they needed to raise the first £500,000. People from different sports supported them too.

“It’s a special club and yes, I pledged. We all had to play our part and I’m confident they will come through this.”

Few can forget Hunter-Paul’s contribution to the Bulls during a glorious 12-year spell. He arrived in Bradford from Auckland as an 18-year-old in July 1994 and became synonymous with the Bulls’ success on and off the pitch.

Although he now wears the claret and gold of Huddersfield in his capacity as the Giants’ business development manager, red, amber and black still course through his veins.

The former half-back, aged 36 and based in Roberttown, recalls: “I joined Bradford Northern and saw the club that it became.

“I spent five years doing a degree in marketing and public relations on a part-time basis at the University of Huddersfield.

“The main textbook about supporter engagement and interaction with fans heavily referenced the Bulls, which made me very proud. I was there at the time, I saw it happening and I was part of it.

“I had 12 seasons with the Bulls. I grew up with a lot of the supporters and was part of the fabric of the community. I embraced it.”

Hunter-Paul recently finished writing his autobiography, which is due to be published in August. Not surprisingly, much of the book centres on his time at Bradford.

The amiable Kiwi reflected: “It was interesting to do it. When you push yourself to walk those steps again, a lot of memories come flooding back along with the euphoria and nostalgia that comes with it.

“That process really allowed me to reintroduce myself to what was a golden time in my rugby league career but also in my life.

“The highlights of my time with the Bulls? Too many to mention. Every final was special, individual games were special and there were moments, occasions and events that were just out of this world.

“There were some things that had nothing to do with Bradford Bulls but at the same time had everything to do with them; like getting up and representing the Bulls at Party in the Park in front of 20,000 people. It wasn’t rugby-related but you were representing the Bulls and it made you proud.

“I had a lot of once in a lifetime experiences at the Bulls. I got the opportunity to play with my brother Henry and my other ‘brothers’ in Lesley Vainikolo, Tevita Vaikona, Shontayne Hape and Joe Vagana.

“But then there were also the likes of Jamie Peacock, Brian McDermott, Paul Anderson, Scott Naylor, Jimmy Lowes, Mike Forshaw, Bernard Dwyer and Graeme Bradley.

“These guys epitomised everything that the Bulls were; hard-working, roll your sleeves up and knuckle down. I think that was really appreciated.

“Early on, when Matthew Elliott first took over at the Bulls, we had just come out of Brian Smith’s regime. Matthew still had a pretty working-class team with not a lot of stars and he said ‘do you know what we’re going to become? We’re going to be the hardest-working team in Super League’.

“And we did. No side worked harder than us and it showed in the next few years, laying great foundations for when Brian Noble took over. Brian was able to take it to a different level and we just had that run of success from 2000.”

Hunter-Paul, who remains in fine shape, will dig out his boots and play for a Bulls team against a Super League line-up in a Legends match on Sunday.

The fixture is part of the three-day Rugby Rocks event at Bradford & Bingley Rugby Club, which starts tomorrow and will feature music from more than 30 acts – including Dub Pistols, Goldie Lookin Chain and Wideboys.

Henry Paul and Vaikona are also set to feature for the Bulls Legends but Robbie is happy to be retired from the playing side of the game these days.

“I wouldn’t wish coaching on my worst enemy, hence why I now work in administration and not in the performance side of the sport,” he said.

“We’ve only got a small team, which means we have to cover a lot and are constantly working, but we’re so busy and I love it.”