Rugby league great John Kear dies aged 71

John Kear, the rugby league broadcaster and former Challenge Cup-winning coach, has died at the age of 71.

The Rugby Football League announced that Kear died suddenly on Sunday on his return from covering Wigan Warriors’ Challenge Cup victory at Wembley for the BBC.

Kear led nine clubs across a coaching career lasting more than 700 matches, masterminding a shock win for Sheffield Eagles in 1998 and then steering Hull FC to glory in 2005.

Kear, who played for a decade as an outside back at Castleford before his long spell in the dugout, retired in 2025 after a second stint at Batley.

The Yorkshireman also tried his hand at international level, coaching England, Wales and France over the course of his career.

Nigel Wood, chair of the RFL said: “On behalf of the whole sport, our thoughts and condolences are with John’s wife Dawn, his family and with those who played or worked alongside him over the last 50 years.

“Having had a 10-year career at Castleford, he found his passion for coaching which saw him oversee more than 700 games across a career which included coaching England in the 2000 World Cup, Wales in the 2017 and 2021 World Cup, oversaw Challenge Cup victories at Sheffield Eagles and Hull FC, and most recently took Batley Bulldogs to the Championship Grand Final.

“But John was also an excellent broadcast summariser with a great turn of phrase and an undiluted love and positivity for the sport.

“It was always a pleasure to see John, at Wakefield Trinity games most recently, as he was full of energy and enthusiasm for the game he clearly loved and had given him so much, in the same way he had given back.”

Hull FC’s chief operating officer Tony Sutton joined the tributes, adding: “He was a true rugby league man through and through, with a deep knowledge of the game, who always had time to stop for a chat whenever you saw him.

“Like many supporters and people associated with our club, the memories of John’s time with us, particularly that wonderful day at the Challenge Cup final in Cardiff in 2005, will be in our minds today.

“I’m sure many will join us in thinking about John and his family today, and offer our deepest condolences to his family and friends.”

Published: 01/06/2026 by Radio NewsHub