The 2026 season was Hull Kingston Rovers tenth consecutive season playing in England's top division of rugby league. They competed in the 2026 Super League season, the 2026 Challenge Cup and, as Super League champions, the 2026 World Club Challenge.
Preseason friendlies
Date and timeVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceReport 25 January; 15:00 Wakefield Trinity H Craven Park 6–34 Leyland Charles (1/1)
World Club Challenge
The 2026 World Club Challenge was confirmed on 6 November 2025, and would be held at the MKM Stadium. The match was the first time since 1986 that Hull Kingston Rovers had played against an Australian team.
Date and timeVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 19 February, 19:30 Brisbane Broncos H MKM Stadium 30–24 Amone, Minchella, Burgess, Gildart, Hiku Mourgue (2/2), Martin (3/3) 24,600 BBC ThreeSky Sports
Super League
From 2026, the Super League expanded to 14 teams, with Toulouse Olympique and York Knights being promoted from the RFL Championship via the IMG Grading system. At a meeting of all twelve Super League teams at the Headingley Rugby Stadium on 28 July 2025 to vote on the expansion proposal, Hull Kingston Rovers were one of two teams to vote against expanding the league, with the club preferring for expansion to have instead taken place ahead of the 2027 season.
On 14 May 2025, it was announced that Hull Kingston Rovers would be part of the 2026 Rugby League Las Vegas event, playing their Round 3 fixture against the Leeds Rhinos at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada.
Fixtures Hull Kingston Rovers' Super League 2026 fixtures were released on 27 November 2025:
Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVPos.Report 12 February; 20:00 Round 1 York Knights A York Community Stadium 18–19 Whitbread (2), Sue Martin (3/3) 8,500 Sky Sports + Main 8th 20 February; 20:00 Round 2 Warrington Wolves H Craven Park P–P N/A 12th 1 March; 00:00 (GMT) Round 3(Rugby League Las Vegas) Leeds Rhinos N Allegiant Stadium 6–58 Burgess Martin (1/1) 45,719 Sky Sports Main Event 14th 8 March; 15:00 Round 4 Huddersfield Giants A Kirklees Stadium 32–6 Davies (2), Lewis (2), Gildart, Burgess Lewis (1/2), Martin (3/4) 4,827 Sky Sports + 12th 21 March; 17:30 (GMT) Round 5 Catalans Dragons A Stade Gilbert Brutus 20–26 May, Burgess, Amone Lewis (3/3 + 1 pen.) 8,156 Sky Sports + 11th 27 March; 20:00 Round 6 St Helens H Craven Park 52–10 Burgess (3), Lewis (3), Litten, Batchelor, Whitbread Lewis (7/9 + 1 pen.) 12,169 Sky Sports Main Event 9th 3 April; 12:30(Good Friday) Round 7(Rivals Round) Hull F.C. H Craven Park 24–6 Burgess (2), Broadbent, Gildart, Litten Lewis (2/5) 12,325 Sky Sports + Main 7th 17 April; 18:00 (BST) Round 8 Toulouse Olympique A Stade Ernest Wallon 46–0 Burgess (2), Minchella, Martin, Hadley, Litten, Hiku, Whitbread Lewis (1/1), Martin (6/7) 6,135 Sky Sports + 7th 25 April; 15:00 Round 9 Bradford Bulls A Odsal Stadium 48–12 Lewis (4), May, Martin, Broadbent, Hiku Martin (8/8) 7,751 Sky Sports + 5th 30 April; 20:00 Round 10 Castleford Tigers H Craven Park 50–6 Davies (3), Lawton (2), Amone, Hadley, Lewis, Burgess Martin (7/9) 11,807 Sky OneSky Sports + Main 4th 16 May; 17:30 Round 11 Leigh Leopards A Leigh Sports Village 20–16 Hiku, Davies, Mourgue Martin (3/3 + 1 pen.) 9,028 Sky Sports Action 4th 21 May; 20:00 Round 12 Wigan Warriors H Craven Park 62–4 Lewis (3), Davies, Litten, Whitbread, Martin, Hadley, Booth, Broadbent, Luckley Martin (9/11) 10,246 Sky Sports + Main 4th 6 June; 16:30 Round 13 Wakefield Trinity A Belle Vue 24–26 Lewis, Whitbread, Luckley, May Lewis (2/2), Martin (2/2) 8,608 BBC TwoSky Sports + 5th 12 June; 20:00 Round 14 York Knights H Craven Park 38–6 Davies (2), Lewis, Burgess, Batchelor, Broadbent, Martin Martin (5/7) 11,408 Sky Sports + 3rd 19 June; 20:00 Round 15 Leigh Leopards H Craven Park 22–8 Burgess, Hiku, Whitbread, Leyland Martin (2/4 + 1 pen.) 11,625 Sky Sports + Main 3rd 26 June; 20:00 Round 16 Leeds Rhinos A Headingley Rugby Stadium 8–34 Booth Martin (1/1 + 1 pen.) 18,456 Sky Sports + Main 6th 4 July; 15:00 Round 17(Magic Weekend) Hull F.C. N Hill Dickinson Stadium 26–12 Lewis, Martin, Whitbread, May Martin (3/4 + 2 pen.) 34,539 Sky Sports + Main 5th 11 July; 17:30 Round 18 Wakefield Trinity H Craven Park 6–20 Martin (3 pen.) 11,408 Sky Sports Action 5th 18 July; 15:00 Round 19 Warrington Wolves A Halliwell Jones Stadium 12–34 Gildart, Batchelor Martin (2/2) 10,025 Sky Sports + Main 7th 23 July; 20:00 Round 20(Rivals Round Reversed) Hull F.C. A MKM Stadium 34–20 Amone, Mourgue, Broadbent, Burgess, Dezaria Mourgue (5/5 + 2 pen.) 18,809 Sky Sports + Main 6th 31 July; 20:00 Round 21 Bradford Bulls H Craven Park 40–16 Burgess (2), Broadbent, May, Litten, Davies, Minchella Hampshire (3/4), Martin (3/3) 12,126 Sky Sports + 5th 7 August; 20:00 Round 22 Castleford Tigers A Wheldon Road 44–0 Davies (2), May (2), Litten, Burgess, Hiku, Martin Hampshire (1/2), Martin (5/5) 9,203 Sky Sports + 5th 13 August; 20:00 Round 23 Catalans Dragons H Craven Park 28–10 Broadbent (2), Litten, Burgess, May Martin (4/5) 11,294 Sky Sports + 5th 18 August; 20:00 Round 2 Warrington Wolves H Craven Park 28–34 Lewis, Lawton, Hadley, Pangai Junior Martin (1 pen.), Mourgue (4/4 + 1 pen.) 11,785 Sky Sports Main Event 5th 22 August; 17:30 Round 24 Toulouse Olympique H Craven Park 12–32 Minchella, Gorman Martin (2/2) 11,798 Sky Sports + 6th 27 August; 20:02 Round 25 Wigan Warriors A Brick Community Stadium 0–46 16,847 Sky Sports + Main 6th 4 September; 20:00 Round 26 Huddersfield Giants H Craven Park 36–6 Mourgue (2), Minchella, Broadbent, Litten, Davies Mourgue (3/3), Martin (2/3 + 1 pen.) 11,541 Sky Sports + 6th 11 September; 20:00 Round 27 St Helens A BrewDog Stadium 12–36 Leyland, Holden Charles (2/2) Sky Sports + 6th
Table
Play-offs
Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 19 September; 17:30 Eliminators Warrington Wolves A Halliwell Jones Stadium 12–35 Burgess, Hadley Mourgue (2/2) 11,073 BBC TwoSky Sports + Main
Challenge Cup
Hull Kingston Rovers were first drawn on 12 January to play Lock Lane ARLFC in Round 3, following Lock Lane's 42-6 defeat of Brighouse Rangers in their delayed Round 1 fixture on 17 January; as a result of Featherstone Rovers being removed from the competition, Lock Lane gained an automatic bye to enter Round 3. The fixture was originally set to be played away at Lock Lane's Hicksons Arena, with neighbouring Castleford Tigers offering their Wheldon Road stadium as an alternative venue, however both teams later agreed to swap the venue to Craven Park by the request of Lock Lane's players.
Following their victory against Lock Lane, which saw records for Hull Kingston Rovers' highest-scoring victory and most goals scored in a fixture broken, Hull Kingston Rovers beat the Huddersfield Giants away 52-12 in Round 4, entering them into the quarter-finals, then after beating the York Knights 48-10 at home, were drawn to play 2025 finalists Warrington Wolves in the semi-finals.
A 32–12 victory over Catalans qualified Hull Kingston Rovers to play in the 2026 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium, where they played the Wigan Warriors in a 2025 Super League Grand Final rematch. Hull Kingston Rovers ultimately emerged as runners-up in the final against Wigan, who won the match 40-10 with a dominant display over Rovers amid hot conditions at Wembley.
Date and timeRoundVersusH/AVenueResultScoreTriesGoalsAttendanceTVReport 6 February; 20:00 Round 3 Lock Lane ARLFC H Craven Park 104–0 Broadbent (3), Horne (3), Davies (2), Charles (2), Sue, Minchella, Booth, Lawton, Gildart, Mourgue, Whitehead, Brown Martin (16/18) Not televised 14 March; 15:00 Round 4 Huddersfield Giants A Kirklees Stadium 52–12 Lewis (2), Whitehead, Hiku, May, Leyland, Luckley, Gildart, Broadbent Martin (8/9) 2,736 The Sportsman 11 April; 13:30 Quarter-finals York Knights H Craven Park 48–10 May (3), Sue, Broadbent, Whitbread, Lewis, Burgess Martin (3/4 + 1 pen.), Lewis (3/3), Litten (1/1) 8,752 BBC Two 10 May; 16:00 Semi-finals Warrington Wolves N Eco-Power Stadium 32–12 Burgess (2), Batchelor (2), Gildart Lewis (2/2 + 1 pen.), Martin (2/3 + 1 pen.) 12,054 BBC Two 30 May; 14:00 Final Wigan Warriors N Wembley Stadium 10–40 Hiku (2) Martin (1/2) 56,383 BBC One
Transfers Gains Player Club Contract Date Tom Amone Canterbury Bulldogs 3 years April 2025 Jumah Sambou Oldham R.L.F.C. 3 years May 2025 Declan Murphy Salford Red Devils 3 years August 2025 Cobie Wainhouse Hull F.C. 2 years August 2025 Jack Charles Hull F.C. 4 years October 2025 Jordan Dezaria Catalans Dragons 3 years October 2025 Tom Whitehead Warrington Wolves 3 years November 2025 Karl Lawton North Queensland Cowboys 3 years December 2025 Ryan Hampshire Featherstone Rovers End of season April 2026 Tevita Pangai Junior SC Leucate End of season May 2026 Ryan Westerman Hull F.C. End of season June 2026 Flynn Holden Warrington Wolves 2 years June 2026
Losses Player Club Contract Date Neil Tchamambe Wakefield Trinity 2 years March 2025 Jared Waerea-Hargreaves N/A Retirement April 2025 Kye Armstrong Released September 2025 Michael McIlorum N/A Retirement September 2025 Ajahni Wallace Toulouse Olympique 1 year October 2025 Danny Richardson York Knights 2 years October 2025 Phoenix Laulu-Togaga'e Catalans Dragons 1 year October 2025 Lennie Ellis Sheffield Eagles 1 year October 2025 Eribe Doro Bradford Bulls 2 years October 2025 Leo Tennison York Knights 1 year November 2025 Kelepi Tanginoa Warrington Wolves 2 years November 2025 Jack Brown Castleford Tigers 1 years June 2026
Loans out Player Club Loan period Date Leon Ruan Bradford Bulls End of season December 2025 Jumah Sambou Widnes Vikings End of season January 2026 Jordan Dezaria St Helens One week March 2026 Bill Leyland St Helens One week March 2026 Lee Kershaw Huddersfield Giants One week May 2026 Tom Whitehead Doncaster R.L.F.C. End of season June 2026 Zach Fishwick Batley Bulldogs Three weeks July 2026 Harvey Horne Doncaster R.L.F.C. End of season July 2026 Louix Gorman Salford RLFC One week August 2026 Declan Murphy Salford RLFC One week August 2026
Squad
Notes
References