FA Women’s Championship club Blackburn Rovers have today announced a new partnership with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan).
Rovers have previously worked with the university but those links will now be strengthened in a deal which will see the UCLan’s facilities become the home of the club’s Regional Talent Centre (RTC).
It has been reported that Rovers will use the UCLan’s multi-purpose Sports Arena in Preston to stage both training sessions and matches for their young players who are aged under 16 while the university’s sports hub will become the new home of their Regional Talent Club (RTC).
Speaking to Rovers’ official media sources after the agreement was put in place, manager Gemma Donnelly said “I am thrilled to officially be able to work with UCLan. They have a strong and clear vision to want to propel Women’s football further forward and together we can make this happen.
“We have a long-standing history with UCLan, but now we have been able to align our vision and broker a fabulous opportunity for our female players.
“We will move all of our RTC programme, along with aspects of the Ladies operation, to the University, which will complement our current partnership with our own Jade Richards, who is UCLan’s High Performance Coach within Women’s Football.
“As a former UCLan student myself, I know first-hand of the magnificent facilities and fantastic education provision this prestigious University offers and I am delighted to have developed this strategic partnership.”
Today’s news is another positive step forward for Rovers who have long term ambitions of reaching the Barclays FA Women’s Super League. The link-up with UCLan will see their stars of tomorrow use some of the best facilities in the North West, providing them with a great opportunity to develop and progress towards senior football.