Hull FC have already started talks with NRL clubs ahead of 2027’s academy tour of Australia. The Black and Whites will embark on a three-week tour Down Under and are looking at playing three matches against NRL youth sides, with other training opportunities also on their wish list.
The club has identified four clubs to hold matches and training sessions with, using their connections to establish relationships ahead of the tour, which will take place in February/March 2027.
Overseen by Hull FC Head of Youth Richard Tate and Director of Rugby & Wellbeing Gareth Ellis, the latter’s former NRL club, Wests Tigers, are in the picture, with former Hull CEO Shane Richardson currently working at the Sydney-based outfit.
Also on the shortlist are Penrith Panthers, the reigning four-peat NRL premiers, with first-team head coach John Cartwright born and bred in the region. Cartwright was a premiership winner with the Panthers in 1991 and still has strong links to the club today.
Cronulla Sharks, coached by former Hull forward Craig Fitzgibbon, and Canterbury Bulldogs, led by Australian rugby league legend Phil Gould, are also in the picture.
“We’ve got some great links throughout the club and its history,” Tate told Hull Live. “Gareth has a great relationship with Wests Tigers. They are someone we are keen to play and work with.
“We’re also in talks with Canterbury Bulldogs, Cronulla Sharks, and, from John’s connections, Penrith Panthers. We’re hopeful for three out of those four. That’s who we will be based with and then play fixtures against as well.”
As well as fixtures, Tate wants to spend time with NRL clubs and train at their facilities. He continued: “We’re really hopeful of some opposed training sessions too, but just being around their staff, their coaching and their environments, we’re hopeful that will give a lasting impression on our young boys and get them thinking about the game a little bit differently as well.
“That’s a big thing about the tour. We mention how we can keep progressing our academy, but also for them as players, how do they change and develop? The game changes every year, so having that influx of information from their staff and their environments will only be beneficial for our young boys as well.”
As for the tour, the Australia adventure is seen as the next step up for the club’s academy departments, who want to keep developing and progressing their programme and ultimately produce stars of the future.
Meanwhile, the players who will embark on the tour are currently in the club’s scholarship department, who defeated rivals Hull KR 32-16 on Wednesday night, with players like Caleb Paleaaesina, Isaac Last, Jacob Last, Cameron Windley, Kingsley Sharpe, etc, etc, in the side and challenged now to keep progressing and earn an academy spot.
“We’re hoping that the group who will go in two years time are our current scholarship group,” Tate explained. “It will be a massive step up for them and their amateur group into an environment where we’ll be demanding a little bit more from them.
“We’re hopeful that the experiences in culture will benefit them, learning different things and seeing how different people work. Training in the NRL’s top-class facilities as well will be a great experience.
“For us staff, it will give us an insight into that side of things. We’re fortunate for the facilities we’ve got here at the university and what we experience as a professional Super League club, but to see it from that side of things in the best competition in the world will be a great insight for us as well.”
On the reasons for the tour, Tate continued: “We wanted to find different ways we can keep advancing and progressing our youth programme. Going to Australia and testing yourself against the best young players in a country where it’s their national sport, but also to give the kids some really big life skills and that experience of a tour feel is a great way to do that.
“When we were sat around having a conversation about this, we said, ‘Let’s go for it, ask the question and see what answers come back.’ We wanted to go big and keep testing our programme.
“We are dealing with some kids who have never left Hull before, so putting them on a plane and going to the other side of the world is a massive task and a massive experience in itself, just the camaraderie and relationship building. You’re in each other’s company for 24 hours a day for three weeks, so it’s getting to know them as people, letting them lead the group and watching them come out of their shells.
“It generally gives us that pathway to not only represent Hull FC but also to showcase their talents on the world stage, if you like. It gives them that corridor and that door to look outside of Hull and open themselves up to different cultures and different environments as well. It gives them that scope and those real lifelong opportunities.
“It’s a proud thing to be a part of, and for me, in my short time in the Head of Youth role, it’s my first big experience, really, my big plan. I’m sure I’ll be running round Manchester airport to make sure they’ve got their passport and everything else. We’re really looking forward to seeing what experiences we will create from it.”
Looking at the long-term picture, the goal is to keep ensuring the backbone of the first-team side are club-produced, a vision coming to fruition now with the likes of Davy Litten, Harvey Barron, and Lewis Martin starring in Super League.
“The ideal scenario is to keep that production line of players coming through our academy into our first team environment that are homegrown, from Hull and East Yorkshire,” Tate said. “I’m honest, and we’ve got to be realistic that for a lot of these players, this might be the pinnacle of their careers.
“They’re not all going to come through and make it, but it’s important that they leave us in a better place, that they leave as better people and better rugby league players. This experience will give them lifelong lessons at such a young age. Wherever they go up and play 400 Super League games like Dany Houghton did for the club, or they leave and go on to other successes, this will play a massive part in their development.”
He added: “The ten years I’ve spent at the club, youth has always been at the forefront and the focus, but having this backing from Richie (Myler), Andrew (Thirkill), David (Hood), and the club just shares that next level of intent and focus around youth that we’re willing to give them the best possible opportunity to develop as people and as rugby league players.
“It’s going to be a fun and challenging 18 months now. We’re putting a tour committee together made up of people within the local game in Hull and from the university and club sponsors and rugby league in general.
“We’ll be setting up a calendar of fundraising events for youth teams that will also serve as team-building exercises. We’ve also had generous donations from the club. Then there’s the actual tour, and we’re going to be busy getting the best possible programme ready. We’re really grateful to the club for facilitating the tour, and we can’t wait to get going.”