BATLEY BULLDOGS chairman Kevin Nicholas says the club are putting more effort than ever into raising funds for and awareness of breast cancer charities after the wife of one of their players was diagnosed with the disease.
Prop Luke Cooper, 31, is stepping away from the game as his wife prepares to undergo treatment.
He has pledged the club’s full support to Cooper, who has played for hometown Batley since 2024 after previous long service with Featherstone and a loan spell at Doncaster.
Nicholas has since 2014 helped stage an annual Pink Weekend at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium on behalf of breast cancer charities, and is this year aiming to go past the £250,000 mark in total money raised.
“Luke clearly needs to focus on his family, and we send all our best wishes for his wife’s recovery,” he said.
“He been a great servant to the game, and he has a great family, whose situation shows the importance of our annual Pink Weekend (generally in August).
“We need to raise £22,000 to get to £250,000, and as part of that initiative we are staging a sponsored walk from Featherstone to Batley on April 10 which we hope as many as possible will support.”
Cooper was given a guard of honour after his final appearance on Sunday in the Bulldogs’ 54-6 home Championship victory against Swinton.