Oldham RLFC

Oldham R.L.F.C., also known as the Roughyeds, is a professional rugby league club in Oldham, Greater Manchester, England. The club currently competes in the Betfred Championship, the second tier of British Rugby League. Formed in 1876 as Oldham Football Club, Oldham are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. The club became known as Oldham Bears from the 1996 season until financial difficulties led to liquidation in 1997. A new club formed as Oldham R.L.F.C. in time for the 1998 season, maintaining the former club's traditional nickname of the Roughyeds. Roughyed is a nickname for a person from Oldham, derived from the rough felt used in the hatting industry which once employed many people.