BRITISH Amateur Rugby League Association founder and former Underbank player Maurice Oldroyd has been made a life member of the All Parliamentary RL Group of MPs.
The 77-year-old Huddersfield-born patron of BARLA, which was formed in Huddersfield in 1973, was at the Houses of Parliament attending his 20th annual meeting of the esteemed RL organisation.
And when the former scrum half, who has been involved in the amateur and professional game for 68 years, and retiring BARLA president Spen Allison were announced they were to be made life members, Maurice admitted it came as a massive surprise.
“It’s something I just didn’t expect at all,” he said.
“We’d been presented with a lovely Parliamentary Group tie to mark 25 years of the organisation, and I was delighted to have been presented with that.
“So to then be told I’d been made a life member was the icing on the cake. I was absolutely thrilled.
“The Parliamentary group do a tremendous amount of work to champion our sport, and to receive a life membership is an incredible honour.”
