BULLieve
18Th March 2013
Welcome to
another edition of your weekly Bradford Bulls article by a fan, for the fans.
This week
has been a super week for Adrian Purtell. Adrian suffered a heart attack on the
bus home from the game against Leeds Rhino’s at the Etihad stadium on magic
weekend last year.
Since then,
Adrian has had to stop his playing career and undergo numerous tests on his
heart to see what, if any damage had been done. Thankfully this week Adrian has
been given the all clear by heart specialists in London. Adrian who is now the
ambassador for heart research UK Travelled to London with team physio Dan
Ramsden on Wednesday to receive the fantastic news.
Adrian is a
true inspiration to all sports men and women out there and we would like to
wish him well resuming his playing career.
During the
week the rugby league world cup came to Bradford. The cup was on show at tong
upper school and in attendance was the Bulls foundation and a couple of good
friends I know. Up and coming rugby player James Hall was pictured with the
cup. James, who plays hooker for Bradford Dudley Hill is also an avid Bradford
Bulls fan.
Also
pictured was our very own Gill Johnson from the Bulls wheelchair rugby league
team looking very proud indeed.
The Bulls
squad undertook a team bonding exercise this week and had a morning go karting.
The lads really enjoyed the karting and were very competitive. The bonding
session was a complete success and, due to a forfeit Jamie Foster had to buy 25
coffees.
This week is
a big week for horse racing. It’s Cheltenham and the lads didn’t exactly get
off to the best start. Luke Gale told everyone at training to bet on a dead
certain and they did. So the lads piled into the betting shop to see if the
horse would win and, it didn’t. Despite this, some of the lads went to the
races and enjoyed the day out.
This week I
have the “spotlight “section” and, this week I have been fortunate to speak to
the founder of the Bradford Bulls Wheelchair Rugby League Club Gill Johnson.
Gill and her
husband Richard are avid Bulls supporters and you will have all seen them at a
game at some point. Gill, who is disabled is a season ticket holder and has
supported the Bulls for quite a number of years.
I asked Gill
to give me some information regarding the club and here it is.
The Bradford
Bulls Wheelchair Rugby League Club was formed in 2009 after 2 of the team’s
founder members, Richard and Gill Johnson, returned from Australia in 2008 with
the very first Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup held in Sydney, Australia. Gill
was the England Team Manager and Richard was England’s Match Official for that
tour.
Both Gill
and Richard have been Bradford Bulls fans for many years but when Gill became a
wheelchair user they began to see problems and decided to do something about
it. They got together with other disabled Rugby League fans and formed the
RLDSA, the Rugby League Disabled Supporters Association which has for 6 years
worked with Rugby League Clubs, the Rugby Football League and disabled Rugby
League spectators to improve access and promote inclusion throughout the game.
It was while Gill was Chairperson of the RLDSA that both Richard and Gill first
saw Wheelchair Rugby League and thought that this was badly needed in our game
so that wheelchair users could also play and do so on a level playing field.
Club
timeline.
2006 – Saw
game for first time.
2007 –
BWTRLA was formed and first official England v France Test Match was played.
2008 –
August – England v France Test Match and told they were going to Australia for
World Cup.
2008 –
October – Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup in Sydney, Australia.
2009 –
Bradford Bulls Wheelchair Rugby League Club formed.
2010 – Gained Club Mark accreditation
2011 – Club
finished second in the Championship League and won the Championship Finals in
their first competitive season.
2012 - The
club finished the season top of our league but just missed out on the Grand
Final.
Inspired by
the great World Cup success and now retired from their duties with the RLDSA
and developing the game nationally they both wanted to see this uniquely
inclusive sport played in Bradford, their home town. They were both shocked to
find that there were no competitive sports in Bradford if you were a wheelchair
user, there were sports for people with other disabilities but wheelchairs
seemed to be a problem. Joined by some fellow Bull’s fans, players and player’s
families and also supported by the Bradford Bulls RLFC themselves the Bradford
Bulls Amateur Wheelchair Tag Rugby League Club was born.
Both Gill
and Richard are still involved with the Club today, Gill is now the Club
Manager and Welfare Officer and Richard is the Coach, they have with help from
many people built a Wheelchair Tag Rugby League Club which was the first to be
formally adopted by a professional Super League Club and also the first to gain
Club Mark accreditation so that parents and players know we are a quality Club.
As a Club
the Bradford Bulls Wheelchair Rugby League Club is proud to now have a
partnership with the Bradford Bulls Foundation, they are helping us develop a
community coaching package so that we can keep doing the work that we do and we
have a busy year ahead.
Last year
the club had been nominated for a National Diversity Award, they made a short
list of 3 from 8000 other organisations so although they were runners up that
was still a great achievement.
Gill is also
running an appeal named The Wheels 4 Wheels appeal. This is to raise much
needed cash to fund a van suitable for the team to attend games and transport
the chairs and equipment which, are not cheap at all. Also, Gill is looking for
any businesses or companies in Bradford willing to donate some funds and in
exchange we will have their company or individual names and logo's added to the
graphics for the van, the graphics have already been donated by Signature signs
who now do the signage at Odsal, they have been doing the graphics on Gill and
Richard’s car for years.
If anybody
is interested in helping please don’t hesitate in contacting myself, Jay
Leeming and I will pass on Gill and Richard’s details.
Thank you
very much to Gill and Richard for being part of BULLieve and, I wish you
success in the future with the club and the appeal.
The academy
lads were in action again this week on Thursday night at a cold Provident
Stadium, hoping to pick up another 2 points.
The vising
team were the Hull KR academy side.
Unfortunately,
Hull KR proved far too strong and the lads were beaten by a score line of
Bradford Bulls 18 – Hull KR 30.
The Bulls
were leading at half time 12 – 10 but, after the break KR scored 3 tries in 5
minutes which zapped the Bulls energy levels resulting in the loss.
Unlucky
lads. Onto your next game, putting this one behind you.
Sunday came
round thick and fast, it was game day and everyone was in a buoyant mood and
excited at seeing our inspirational winger Adrian Purtell return to action.
Everything
seemed to go to plan for the Bulls as, another 2 points were picked up against
Hull KR.
Brett
Kearney scored again to make his tally for the season 9.
Bradford
made a dream start when Jarrod Sammut and Keith Lulia created an overlap for
Jamie Foster to cross near the corner flag after five minutes. Four minutes
later, following a mistake by Con Mika, Danny Addy’s high kick was patted back
by Elliot Kear for Brett Kearney to continue a run of scoring in every game
with his ninth try of the season. Foster was unable to convert the tries
leaving the score at 8-0.
The Robins
hit back with David Hodgson and Michael Dobson converted to bring the score to
8-6.
Purtell
briefly stopped the game when he emerged from the dug-out to a standing ovation
and barely two minutes later the home crowd were roused again when Kearney
stabbed a grubber into the corner, which Kear successfully pounced on to score
Bradford’s third try with Foster converting to make the score now, Bulls 14 –
Robins 6.
Another Addy
kick bounced kindly for Bateman to collect and ground. Then Bateman helped
create the next score, setting Lulia and Foster free down the wing for Sammut
to take the final pass and touch down. This made the half time score look
healthy at 26 – 6.
Rovers
scored through Josh Hodgson, back from a recent suspension, dummied his way
over with Dobson adding a second goal but determined home defence restricted
any further damage. Score Bulls 26 – Robins 12. Sammut then cut through on his own to claim his second
try, and Foster took his tally to five goals with the conversion and a late
penalty.
Final score,
Bradford Bulls 34 – Hull KR 12. Attendance: 7,843.
The lads
would like to take this opportunity to thank every supporter and have praised
the support you provide. Both home and away have been brilliant with a lot of
noise which, spurs the lads on and gives them a buzz.
Up next,
Catalan
Dragons on Saturday at the Stade Gilbert Brutus with a 6pm kick off. This will be a tough mental and physical
battle and hopefully we will come back home with the 2 points. Best of luck lads.
The Bradford
Bulls Foundation now have a website up and running. The address is www.bullsfoundation.org if you don’t know what the foundation is then, have a look
on the website you never know you could help.
Events at
the Provident Stadium.
Saturday
30th March.
Ultimate Adele
tribute night. 3 course meal, house band playing until 1am with tickets costing
£19.95 per person.
Easter
Sunday 31st March 2013, 12-4pm.
Entry is
free with different things going on including,
Craft
Stalls, Carvery, Easter egg Hunt, Face Painting, Raffle, and Tombola, Pass the
Easter egg, Craft Area, Easter Bonnet Competition, Cakes & Bun Stall, Team
Taurus –
Some players
will be in attendance along with Bullboy. Come along with all the family and
enjoy a fun filled day.
If you would be interested in having a stall,
then please contact katie.stirk@bradfordbulls.co.uk or telephone 07734921177
Once again I
would like to personally thank each and every reader for taking your time to
read BULLieve.
I would also
like to thank the Bulls board, Omar Khan, Simon Kenny, Vipin Joshi and Ryan
Whitcut for letting BULLieve be officially part of the club.
Until next
week, don’t stop BULLieving and have a great week.
Jay Leeming.
