Chairman Andy Mazey’s end of season update

Following the conclusion of the Betfred League 1 season last weekend, chairman Andy Mazey shares his thoughts and provides an update for supporters:

It's fair to say it was an emotional finale to the 2025 Betfred League 1 season on Sunday, as we marked the retirement of our three most senior players. 

Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to send them off with a win - and a win which, with the finest of margins at the top of the table, would have secured us a top four finish for a second year running.

As the old saying goes, all good things come to an end. In addition to the three retirees, now the dust has settled I can now inform you that other players will also be moving on. 

The squad will be freshened up in 2026. However, before we say our final goodbyes, we can look forward to another fantastic End of Season Awards Night on Friday 26 September.

If you haven’t purchased your ticket yet please do so here.

In the coming days and weeks, there will be several announcements with regards to our retention, recruitment and outgoings. Gary and I have been hard at work reshaping and repurposing the squad in anticipation of the Betfred Championship and League One competitions being combined into a single division outside the Betfred Super League in 2026. 

All things considered we are happy, looking in good shape, with some good business done, and I’m very confident that the news to come in the weeks and months ahead will whet the appetite for next year. 

The new league structure provides an opportunity to think longer-term and bigger picture, and we will be placing greater emphasis on developing young talent. 

As part of our philosophy, we aim to provide more opportunities for Rochdale-based players. In short, for year one of the new structure, our aim is to be competitive with a younger, hungrier Rochdale Hornets team, and the right balance of youth and experience.

There are so many historic and ambitious clubs outside of the Super League, and we firmly believe an attractive and compelling fixture list for all clubs outside the Betfred Super League not only has the potential to enhance the attendances and finances of all, but also make clubs like ours more attractive for investment and deliver increased return on investment for our sponsors and commercial partners.

Our women’s and wheelchair teams have made us all proud and gone from strength to strength this season. 

Both teams will finish as league leaders of their respective competitions with play-offs still to come. I would urge supporters to get along and give our teams the support they deserve if you can.

Carl, Jason, Matt and I have been developing the club’s commercial strategies in recent weeks which will be energised by being part of an exciting second tier competition in 2026. 

While we still await the final details from the RFL, our commercial brochure has now gone to print, and we will be engaging with partners and sponsors new and old in the weeks ahead.

At the time of writing, we have now completed our 2025 IMG submission ahead of the deadline of 5pm on Monday 8 September. We will of course provide a more detailed update in due course.

The end of September will see another exciting milestone achieved by the Rochdale Hornets Sporting Foundation. 

Our Foundation, chaired by Mark Wynn, will take full ownership and control of the café and community room at “The Hive” at Million Pavilion, Balderstone Park. This will help to accelerate growth and developments at the site.

Last but by no means least, a massive thank you from everyone involved with the club. Your support means so much to us and it is very much appreciated.

Together, we go again next season.

Onward, Hornets!
Andy Mazey