Heysham Atoms ready for first competitive game at new ground

Rugby league club Heysham Atoms are set to play their first competitive game at their new ground.

King George’s Playing Field - also known as King George’s Community Sports Hub - in Heysham, is the Atoms’ new home.

They are ground-sharing with Westgate Hawks Football Club, with whom they agreed a 25-year lease last year. 

Heysham Atoms had been ground-sharing with Vale of Lune Rugby Union Club for the past two seasons.  

Their men’s team face Latchford Albion ARLFC in the North West Men’s League Premier Division on Saturday (April 13) with a 2.30pm start.

The inaugural game at King George’s was supposed to be last week against Ashton Bears in the North West Men’s League Cup but it was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Speaking to Beyond Radio in January, club coach Andy Helme said: “This was always our big vision: to find our own ground.

“It’s in the Heysham area as well, which goes with our name.

“We’ve worked really closely with Lancaster City Council, they’ve been brilliant in finding us a place.

“Once we found a place, we contacted Westgate Wanderers, who were only too happy to have us on board.”

Training for all teams has now started at King George’s too. 

Heysham Atoms’ men’s team have played one game so far this season, away to Halton Farnworth Hornets, which they lost 30-12.

The team have a new coach in Steve Woodburn, who has years of experience in both rugby codes. 

In rugby league, Woodburn has had spells at Blackpool Scorpions, Blackpool Sea Eagles, Millom, England Students and England Lionhearts, with whom he won the Four Nations Championship.

In rugby union, he has coached Millom, Fleetwood and Thornton, his previous role before joining ‘the Atoms’ in December.  

Heysham Atoms’ men’s fixtures are as follows:

April 13: Latchford Albion (H)

April 20: Shevington Sharks (A)

April 27: Blackbrook (A)

May 11: Orrell St James (H)

May 18: Folly Lane (A)

June 1: Haresfinch (A)

June 22: Blackbrook (H)

June 29: Ashton Bears (H)

July 6: Latchford Albion (A)

July 20: Halton Farnworth Hornets (H)

July 27: Orrell St James (A)

August 3: Shevington Sharks (H)

August 10: Folly Lane (H)

September 7: Haresfinch (H)

TBC: Ashton Bears (A) - game on March 9 was postponed 

Heysham Atom’s women’s team have two games in the coming weeks, both of which are at King George’s:

April 28: Wigan St Jude’s (H)

May 5: Rochdale Mayfield (H)