Gareth Ellis has always been described as having a charismatic presence. It’s almost magnetic. In fact, his biggest compliment, through a career that spanned all of Super League, the NRL, and the international stage, was that he was always described as the player his teammates wanted to play alongside.
It’s not hard to see why. In a glittering playing career, Ellis gave it everything. He was the ultimate professional, the no-nonsense player, the leader, and the enforcer. His talents paved the way for two Challenge Cup successes at Hull FC. He’s a club legend. Nothing less.
It was perhaps natural, then, that there was some frustration after retirement. Ellis, through his own words, has dipped into various roles, but none gave him that same purpose as being a player.
But that’s now changed, and in returning to Hull midway through last year after a several-month absence, the now 44-year-old has found that purpose again.
Taking a new Director of Rugby & Wellbeing role, Ellis is thriving once more at the club that’s become his second home. He may hail from Castleford, but he’s every bit the Black and White as the next man. And that passion shines through.
Speaking to Hull Live, Ellis said: “I’ve always felt I wanted to be positioned in a role which gets the best out of me and gets the best out of the club. I’ve probably not necessarily found that, dipping in and out of different roles, but I’ve really found that I enjoy the welfare side of things.
“Funnily enough, the struggles I had when I retired in terms of finding my purpose again – it turns out my purpose is helping other people find their purpose and make sure they do things right and plan for life after rugby in a better way. I really like that side of things and building relationships with players. That’s part of a Director of Rugby role, and that’s one part of it that I really enjoy.
“From a club point of view, this club is a really exciting club to be at the minute. We talk about it all of the time that we look forward to coming in, and that probably wasn’t the case this time last year.
“We were surviving; we were just getting by, crossing our fingers and hoping for the best, but now there is a real vision at the club. There’s a real purpose about what we’re doing, and that might take a few years to come to fruition, but I feel like we’re coming in every day and contributing to that now.”
Part of that vision is to create an identity throughout the whole club. Hull, through CEO Richie Myler to head coach John Cartwright and beyond, want to find a brand of rugby league that resonates with everyone.
That goes from the first team to the academy, with the long-term ambition to bring through club-produced players into Super League. That’s the long-term goal and has tied in with a new club hub at the University of Hull.
The club are confident they are laying foundations, and now, with the knowledge that youth development is just as important as recruitment, it’s all about taking the next steps. For the academy, that is a three-week tour of Australia in 2027, an initiative Ellis – playing a big part in it – is buoyed by alongside Head of Youth Richard Tate and Academy Coach Francis Cummins.
“The announcement of this trip just highlights that (the feel-good factor) for me,” Ellis continued. “It’s an ongoing process, but we’re all looking forward to it.
“I think it will be massive for the players that go. Part of our remit as a club is to produce Super League players, and this is a fantastic initiative from the club, and a massive incentive for those lads in the system that something like this is on the horizon. It’s very inspirational for them.
“It’s also something I’m quite proud of – I’m proud to be involved with a club that is showing this kind of ambition. Being here, working with Tatey the last month or so since I took the role on and trying to support him within the role, and seeing where we can get better. Tatey has had this idea of Australia for a long time, and it’s a big pat on the back to him for getting this off the ground and getting the support of the club.
“Richie Myler and Andrew Thirkill have seen the vision that Tatey has got for it – it’s massive. It’s just going to be a great experience for everyone involved. I’m really enjoying that part of the role, getting more ingrained in the rugby side of things, and that will only improve as time moves on.
“But in all my time at the club, I think we’ve always had that ambition to bring young players through the system. From my experience and being involved in such a successful team at Leeds, it was based on having a core group of players that have come through their academy system – Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield, and Danny McGuire – and you look at all the successful sides, St Helens and Wigan; they’ve done it consistently over the years.
“They are the most successful clubs in the last 20 years, and it’s given us some answers to our questions. We have to produce our own, and that will form the cornerstone of a successful club with some sustainability behind it. I just think a trip like that to Australia supports the idea that we’ve got, and hopefully we will have, a legacy and a long-lasting impact on that group of players, whether from rugby or just life – there’s a big old world out there.”
He added: “It also won’t do us any harm for a Hull FC team to go out there. It shows that we are very forward-thinking, and we’re putting the Hull FC junior programme at the forefront of what we’re doing. This is a big investment the club are putting in alongside some fundraising that will engage the community. They will get to support their players, but we can definitely go out there and be proud.
“You think of all the great overseas players that have played for the club, or Shane Richardson, for example, who is the CEO at Wests Tigers. There are that many links out there, and I’m sure there’ll be many people catching up with people associated with Hull FC over the years. It will be a massive step for us and a fantastic experience.”