Relocation of National Rugby League Museum would be a shame - Yorkshire Post Letters

It is a great shame and a huge disappointment for many rugby league supporters and others to read that there may now be a relocation of the planned National Rugby League Museum from the landmark Victorian George Hotel, in Huddersfield.

This famous hotel and rugby league are indistinguishable in terms of their long and proud traditions and history.

It all goes back to the legendary meeting on the 29th August 1895 at the hotel when the ‘breakaway’ clubs formed the Northern Rugby Football Union.

The George has previously housed Mike (“Stevo”) Stephenson’s very successful Rugby League Heritage Centre, up until the hotel went into receivership in 2013.

withdrew their interest from the project.

There is no doubt that the George Hotel is the preferred option, and a respected symbol as the spiritual home of the sport.

It seems quite extraordinary that ‘parties involved in the negotiations’ have decided to potentially about-turn on their stated plans to refurbish the hotel as a multi-purpose commercial venue, to include the museum.

It is certainly not clear what the explanation for this bizarre move may be.

The George Hotel venue, easily accessible from the railway station and not far from the bus station would become a jewel in the crown for visitors to that part of the town’s enterprise and the focal point for the wider redevelopment plans for Huddersfield.

Let’s hope that the council and their partners, together with the Rugby Football League, can come together urgently to review the situation and find an amicable way forward.

Hopefully this recent announcement is simply an aberration, or have we all been misled?