Oldham is going to be hosting a Guinness World Record bid and the 'biggest ever community performance' event to happen in rugby.
Pro Excel events, founded by Liam O'Reilly who is originally from Oldham himself, are organising a bid to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of dancers to perform with a singer.
There will be around 2,500 dancers aged nine to 18, with Mr O'Reilly saying at least 1,000 dancers will be from Oldham.
(Image: Jessica Rothwell)
The event is in partnership with Oldham RLFC and will take place before one of the Roughyeds matches in May 2025.
At a panel at Boundary Park today (June 12) to announce the record attempt, Mr O'Reilly said: "This is very humbling- I began my career in 1997 working at this great club in its Super League days and my remit was about using the power and profile of sport to engage young people and communities.
"I founded Pro Excel in 2002 to take the power of sport, to take the power of sport, to take the profile of sport and use it to engage and empower young people.
"This project is going to make a really positive impact on young peoples lives- it's going to give them the opportunity to taste unique success.
"It's designed to empower young people to work together, taking people from completely different communities- They'll be young people that have never danced, never sang before working hand in hand with people on vocational pathways going into a career in the arts."
Mr O'Reilly said he is keen to diversify the people involved in the performance and is already working with Project 21 by including over 60 people who suffer from Down's syndrome.
On why they are partnering with the event, Oldham RLFC's managing director, Mike Ford said: "For 42 years I have been involved in professional sport and I've had some great memories, But some of my best memories are from my childhood growing up in Oldham.
"At my first junior school, Lyndhurst, I had a teacher who introduced me to sport and taught me: if you've got discipline and commitment, sport can be an exhilarating thing.
"I'm lucky, along with Bill [Quinn] to own Oldham RLFC and we have a purpose and that purpose is not Super League.
"Yes, we want to do really well on the field, but its not Super League for us, it's the pathway with our young children and it's engaging with the community.
"Our purpose is to reconnect with this incredible town and to make the people of Oldham proud of both sporting clubs again."
Latics chairman, Frank Rothwell, who himself has broken four world records, celebrated that the event will be hosted at Boundary Park.
Originally, the event was to raise funds for two charities, Alzheimer's Research UK and Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA).
However, Mr Rothwell revealed at the announcement event that after discussion with Alzheimer's Research UK and in light of the recent passing of Rob Burrow CBE, the event will instead be solely for MNDA.
Mr Burrow CBE was a Leeds Rhino rugby league player who recently passed away after a long battle with motor neurone disease, and friend and team-mate of Oldham's Kevin Sinfield.
Many of those involved, including Mr Rothwell, credited Oldham Council's restoration of Boundary Park's pitch, saying that if not for that- the event would not be possible.
Council Leader Arooj Shah said: "What we have seen today is the best of Oldham and this is what we've been saying all along.
"I think it's really hard when you have voices outside of Oldham trying to make judgements, but actually sports is a massive opportunity to bring people from different communities together in a way they wouldn't normally mix."
She added that she plans to attend the event in May 2025 and "can't wait".
At the launch, Kirsten's dance academy performed a preview of the talent we should expect at the final event.
(Image: Jessica Rothwell)
One of the girls performing, Katya Dean said: "I feel so amazing about doing it and dancing as a team is just such a surreal experience.
"I think coming together as one and as a whole is so amazing, there's no other feeling like it and especially here in our home town- I feel really proud to be here.
"Dancing on the pitch is such a memorable experience and it will go down in all of our memories."
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