Captain Ross Whitmore pens new two-year deal

Rochdale Hornets captain Ross Whitmore has signed a new two-year deal, keeping him at the club until at least the end of the 2028 season.

Whitmore first joined the Hornets in May 2025 and went on to make 11 appearances during the second half of his debut season. 

A leader on the field and positive presence off it, Whitmore was handed the captaincy ahead of the 2026 campaign following the retirement of Duane Straugheir.

This season he has featured 23 times, scoring once.

Away from the Hornets, Whitmore has also played regularly for Scotland at international level, in both the UK and also Las Vegas earlier this year.

Whitmore’s new deal is another important piece of business for the club as it looks to further establish itself in the Betfred Championship. 

“I’m very excited to be signing on for the next two years,” he said.

“I've loved being a part of this club, and I've especially enjoyed being captain this year. I've always wanted to spend a good period of time here, and I'm so grateful to Gary Thornton and Andy Mazey for putting their faith in me and giving me the opportunity to do that.

“We're still building, and as I'm still a young player myself, I know there's plenty more I can do to improve my game. As a team, we'll keep working hard to help the club keep moving forward.

“Everyone shares the same vision for the Hornets, and I'm excited to continue being a part of it.”

Rochdale Hornets chairman Andy Mazey said: "This is another important piece of business, and I'm absolutely delighted to have been able to secure the future of our captain.

“Ross is an honest lad who keeps himself in fantastic condition and he has been instrumental in enhancing standards and creating a vastly improved culture at the club this year. 

“The fact this is another two-year deal should also demonstrate to our supporters that we in a much better place than this time last year, and they can be assured that a lot of hard work is going into retention and also recruitment to ensure we continue to make progress in 2027 as a sustainable Championship club.”