Category: Rugby League

Featherstone Rovers sign former Melbourne Storm and Gold Coast Titans half-back Ryley Jacks, as they seek promotion to Super League in 2022.

Castleford winger James Clare is banned for three matches for punching and will miss the start of the Super League season.

Ex-England head coach Steve McNamara signs a new two-year deal with 2021 Super League Grand Finalists Catalans Dragons.

Kyle Johns becomes the third Cornish player to sign for newly formed League One side Cornwall RLFC.

Scrums are to return to rugby league in 2022 as fears ease over the continued threat of Covid-19.

Warrington Wolves hooker Danny Walker signs a new deal to remain with the Super League club until the end of the 2024 season.

After England hosts the World Cup this year, all eyes will turn to France for the 2025 tournament

By Gavin Willacy for No Helmets Required

France Prime Minister Jean Castex last week confirmed that they will be hosting the 17th Rugby League World Cup in 2025. The announcement was made in Paris, where the confirmation of government support towards a €59m budget has enabled the French rugby league federation to activate their bid. “The rooster you can see on top of the trophy is going to sing again in 2025,” proclaimed Castex.

Why is it being held in France?
The tournament had been provisionally promised to the USA only for the promoters behind that bid to collapse following the loss-making England v New Zealand Test in Denver in 2018. Desperate to avoid returning to Australia and New Zealand so soon after 2017, and fulfilling their policy of pursuing G7 markets, IRL chief Troy Grant knew France was the obvious option and provided “enormous potential”. He convinced Luc Lacoste, the president of the French rugby league federation, to take the baton and run.

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Former Ireland youth international Paul Bolger prop becomes the fifth player to sign for Cornwall RLFC.

Women's Super League holders St Helens will begin their title defence against Wigan Warriors when the 2022 season gets under way.

Cornwall RLFC sign their fourth player as former Wigan academy full-back Joe Purcell joins the newly-formed League One side.

Wakefield chief executive Michael Carter says French Covid regulations could impact the integrity of competition in Super League.

Fans and sport angry after council U-turn on plan to house project in hotel where the sport began

More than 125 years ago, representatives of a number of rugby union clubs from the north of England gathered at the George hotel in Huddersfield. The meeting resulted in the formation of a new sport, known today as rugby league. Now a row between the local council and those wanting to honour the sport with a museum at the site of its formation threatens to overshadow the sport’s legacy.

The idea began harmoniously when, several years ago, leading rugby league charity Rugby League Cares announced plans to create a National Rugby League Museum. Towns and cities from across the sport’s traditional northern heartlands were invited to apply to host the project. Huddersfield won the bidding process in 2020, beating competition from the likes of Leeds, Bradford and Wigan, with the local Kirklees council offering the George as the venue for the new museum.
It was a deliberate offer with deep significance to the sport. The fact that Huddersfield’s bid was centred on the George was seen as crucial by many insiders as to why Kirklees council beat off competition from other towns and cities that were arguably better resourced to take on such a significant cultural project.

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Galway Tribesmen want to grow rugby league in the Republic of Ireland as they prepare to face Pilkington Recs in the Challenge Cup.

Salford Red Devils sign former Leigh Centurions prop Alex Gerrard on a one-year deal.

Wakefield Trinity sign trialist winger John Davetanivalu and centre Thomas Minns for the 2022 Super League season.