Castleford Tigers directors have confirmed that they will apply in the near future for a share of the £16 million loan that was made to the RFL by the government in April.
The RFL has indicated to all its member clubs that they can apply for financial support, with each club given a maximum financial target that it can apply for.
In a statement to their supporters, the Tigers’ directors said that the loan will help the club’s financial stability until a return to normality next year.
“The club has been run on a very sound financial footing for a number of years and this is something that has really helped us get through this difficult time,” said the club’s statement.
“We have managed to meet all our financial commitments to staff and suppliers throughout the lockdown period and are well placed to move into the restart of Super League.
“It is our intention to apply for Castleford’s part of the £16m Government loan in August; this will see us through until we start to return to some form of normality for next year.”
Meanwhile the is giving its season-ticket holders three options for reclaiming the money they paid earlier in the year for matches they haven’t seen.
First, a refund can be requested on unused games at the end of the season, once there has been clarity on how many matches, with fans, can be played at the Mend-A-Hose Jungle.
Secondly, fans can donate the value of the unused games back to the club.
Thirdly, fans could be offered discount offer on their 2021 season tickets.
“We are aware that a number of fans have expressed a wish to donate any money from the unused games to the club and, while we really appreciate this, we also understand that not everyone is able to do this and each person will have different circumstances and be under different financial pressures,” the statement continued.
“We wanted to thank the fans for the unwavering support you have given us throughout this difficult time.
“We have seen a considerable increase in the number of subscribers to Tigers TV, the Tigers Daily Draw, and the very successful launch of Club 1926. We have also seen a great uptake in our online shop and in-store merchandise offers.
“It has made a huge difference to the financial footing of the club and we thank everybody for their ongoing support and contributions.”
The Tigers’ first game back will be against Catalans Dragons at Headingley on Saturday (4.15pm).
The above content is also available in the regular weekly edition of League Express, on newsstands every Monday in the UK and as a digital download. Click here for more details.
