Cornwall RLFC

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Oldham Feature: No Facts or Figures but One Notable Connection

April 23, 2022

Cornwall RLFC’s Harry Aaronson – Cornwall Sports Media/Colin Bradbury

Before every weekly round, the Rugby Football League sends out a comprehensive list of statistics to Betfred League 1 clubs.

It’s a useful tool when writing previews for forthcoming games and for the respective press officers at Swinton and Keighley, who see their two respective teams clash at Cougar Park in round five, they would have had memories jogged that in the last three meetings between the two sides, Mike Butt has touched down for the Heywood Road outfit, for example. 

From the Keighley perspective, Jake Webster needs just one try to reach 150 in his career which started with NRL side Melbourne Storm in 2003.

Scroll down the comprehensive email a little further and you will see Oldham v Cornwall with no facts and figures to make staticians pur. 

With the sides meeting for the first ever time it simply states: No previous meetings.

However, despite Cornwall’s short history, with the club only formally announced as a member of the RFL back in November 2021, there is a notable connection between the two sides and his name is Harry Aaronson.

Born and raised in Oldham, the 23-year-old has kick started his career with the Choughs under the tutelage of head coach Neil Kelly and has been a shining light in Cornwall’s tough start to life in the third tier.

Aaronson started off the season playing on the wing and scored a stunning intercept try in Cornwall’s first ever game at North Wales Crusaders. Cleverly anticipating a pass from the Welsh side’s attack, Aaronson poached the ball and streaked almost 80 metres in his trademark style to finish, swan dive and fist pump included, with aplomb.

Then in Cornwall’s second game against Midlands, Aaronson scored the club’s first ever try on home soil whilst once again catching the eye with his wonderful knack of being able to slot in at dummy half and break tackles with ease.

He continued his early season purple patch at Doncaster last time out for the Choughs and was involved in the try of the match. Receiving the ball behind his own line, Aaronson sprinted clear of the would-be Donny defence and after finding the supporting Joe Purcell, Cornwall had turned defence into attack with devastating effect. Two plays later and Joe Burton crossed out wide for a sensational Cornish score which was due in no small part to Aaronson.

The feats mentioned above won’t come as any kind of surprise to Oldham fans however as they have seen Aaronson’s excellence first hand both in the Roughyeds famous red and white jerseys and for other clubs too.

The speed demon, who is comfortable playing at either full-back or on the wing, began his professional journey with spells in the academy set-ups at Super League clubs Wigan Warriors and Huddersfield Giants.

It was in 2015 where Aaronson first caught the eye in senior rugby with Swinton.

Opting to further his education at Leeds University, Aaronson swapped Manchester for Keighley and joined the Cougars before moving back to Swinton in 2019.

During the last post-pandemic season, Aaronson moved to his hometown team Oldham on loan while they were playing at Whitebank and on their way to securing a Championship return.

For the ill-fated 2020 season, Aaronson moved permanently to Oldham and despite starting their first two matches, the global covid-19 pandemic saw all competitive rugby below Super League declared null and void.

During the summer of 2020, with the future for rugby league players and clubs in the lower leagues very much up in the air, Aaronson decided to hang up his professional boots and focus on a career in recruitment.

However, the chance to rekindle his love affair with rugby league by playing for England’s newest entity was an attraction Aaronson could not turn down.

It would be fair to say that it is an opportunity he’s grabbed with both hands so far and although Oldham fans will be anticipating that Stuart Littler’s men claim the two league points on offer, deep down, they will also be hoping one of their very own, wearing gold and black, continues his rugby league resurgence on familiar territory.