Curtain falls on fantastic Oldham campaign

LEADING BY EXAMPLE: Oldham captain and coach Gareth Barber has been a role model for the first team’s young players to follow.

RUGBY UNION: 

A SUCCESSFUL production line of young, talented players has been the cornerstone of Oldham RUFC’s stellar season in North Lancashire Division One.

The Manor Park outfit clinched a gun-to-tape title success with an easy victory at North Manchester – and coach and captain Gareth Barber reckons the first team will only get better as the youngsters in the squad develop.

Barber, one of only two players above the age of 30 in the squad - the other being Will Mellor - has nothing but praise for his band of rising stars.

He said: “Over the last few years it has been been a building process with the younger lads coming through the ranks. Apart from me and one other, it is a young squad with an average age in the early 20s.

“We try to play the right type of game, rugby the lads can enjoy, which in turn lends itself to being successful. The club has a great junior section, with the likes of Steve Tyrell and John Maslen involved, and I think this group of players is ready to take the next step.

“It will be quite a challenge next season in the North Lancashire and Cumbria Division, and there will be seven or eight massive away tests, so the players need to step up again which I think they can do.

“Hopefully, there will be other players coming through to add to the squad and give us a bigger pool of players from which to select.”

Barber was full of praise for Oldham RU stalwart Iain MacCorquodale, who supported him from the sidelines during the team’s successful campaign.

Said Barber: “Respect to Iain Macorquodale, who has been a tremendous help to me. I haven’t found it too demanding to be player-coach as he has been there to support me and has often made the difficult decisions when I have been on the field.”

Oldham’s final game of the North Lancashire Division One season is on Saturday at home to St Edward’s, Liverpool.

twitter: @KeithMcHughOC