Rugby league transfer record

The Rugby league transfer record is the highest-ever sum of money paid by a club to purchase the contract, and therefore the playing services, of another club's player. It has been re-set almost every decade since the sport became professional around the start of the 20th century. Between the 1930s and 1980s international transfer bans were imposed, removed and renewed at different times due to the sport's governing bodies' fears of excessive talent drain overseas. In 1998, the sport's transfer system was changed to allow any player aged 24 or over to move between clubs at the end of their contract without a fee being paid.[1][2] As a result, transfer fees in rugby league became much more uncommon. The current transfer record is held by Sam Tomkins, for whom the New Zealand Warriors paid £700,000 to the Wigan Warriors in 2013.[3]

Record progression

Year Player From To Fee (£) Notes
1901 Lomas, JamesJames Lomas Bramley Salford 100[4]
1911 Lomas, JamesJames Lomas Salford Oldham 300
1913 Batten, BillyBilly Batten Hunslet Hull 600[5]
1921 Buck, HaroldHarold Buck Hunslet Leeds 1,000[4]
1930 Smith, StanStan Smith Wakefield Leeds 1,075
1934 Brogden, StanStan Brogden Huddersfield Leeds 1,200
1937 Hey, VicVic Hey Ipswitch Leeds 1,400[6] [lower-alpha 1]
1937 Belshaw, BillyBilly Belshaw Liverpool Warrington 1,450
1947 Davies, BillBill Davies Huddersfield Dewsbury 1,650[7]
1947 Hudson, BillBill Hudson Batley Wigan 2,000
1948 Ledgard, JimmyJimmy Ledgard Dewsbury Leigh 2,650
1948 Owens, IkeIke Owens Leeds Castleford 2,750
1949 McCormick, StanStan McCormick Belle Vue Rangers St Helens 4,000[8]
1949 Naughton, AlbertAlbert Naughton Widnes Warrington 4,600[9]
1950 Ryan, BruceBruce Ryan Hull Leeds 4,750
1950 Egan, JoeJoe Egan Wigan Leigh 5,000[10]
1952 Jones, LewisLewis Jones Llanelli Leeds 6,000[11]
1957 Sullivan, MickMick Sullivan Huddersfield Wigan 9,500[11]
1959 Southward, IkeIke Southward Workington Town Oldham 10,650[12]
1961 Sullivan, MickMick Sullivan Wigan St Helens 11,000[11]
1961 Southward, IkeIke Southward Oldham Workington Town 11,002 10s[12]
1961 Shaw, BrianBrian Shaw Hunslet Leeds 13,250[13] [lower-alpha 2]
1968 Dixon, ColinColin Dixon Halifax Salford 15,000 [lower-alpha 3]
1969 Charlton, PaulPaul Charlton Workington Town Salford 12,500[14]
1971 Reilly, MalMal Reilly Castleford Manly-Warringah 15,000[15]
1973 Ashurst, BillBill Ashurst Wigan Penrith 15,000
1973 Stephenson, MikeMike Stephenson Dewsbury Penrith 20,000
1978 Norton, SteveSteve Norton Castleford Hull 25,000 [lower-alpha 4]
1978 Hogan, PhilPhil Hogan Barrow Hull KR 33,000
1980 Casey, LenLen Casey Bradford Hull KR 38,000[16]
1980 Skerrett, TrevorTrevor Skerrett Wakefield Hull 40,000
1981 Fairbairn, GeorgeGeorge Fairbairn Wigan Hull KR 72,500
1985 Hanley, ElleryEllery Hanley Bradford Wigan 150,000 [lower-alpha 5]
1986 Lydon, JoeJoe Lydon Widnes Wigan 100,000
1987 Gregory, AndyAndy Gregory Warrington Wigan 130,000
1987 Crooks, LeeLee Crooks Hull Leeds 150,000[17]
1987 Schofield, GarryGarry Schofield Hull Leeds 155,000[18]
1989 Steadman, GrahamGraham Steadman Featherstone Rovers Castleford 170,000 [lower-alpha 6]
1991 Hanley, ElleryEllery Hanley Wigan Leeds 250,000
1992 Offiah, MartinMartin Offiah Widnes Wigan 440,000[11]
1995 Newlove, PaulPaul Newlove Bradford St Helens 500,000[19] [lower-alpha 7]
2006 Fielden, StuartStuart Fielden Bradford Wigan 450,000[20]
2013 Tomkins, SamSam Tomkins Wigan New Zealand 700,000[3]

Notes

  1. ↑ This was a "signing on fee" and was at the time higher than the world record transfer fee.
  2. ↑ Shaw was signed for £9,500 cash, and included a player exchange deal which saw Leeds players Bernard Prior and Norman Burton join Hunslet.
  3. ↑ Dixon was signed for £12,000 cash, and included a player exchange deal which saw Salford player Mike Kelly join Halifax.
  4. ↑ Hull player Jimmy Crampton joined Castleford as part of this deal.
  5. ↑ Hanley was signed for £85,000 cash, and included a player exchange deal which saw Wigan players Steve Donlan and Phil Ford join Bradford.
  6. ↑ Castleford paid an initial fee of £145,000 for Steadman, and agreed to play an additional £25,000 if he played a Test for Great Britain.
  7. ↑ Newlove was signed for £250,000 cash, and included a player exchange deal which saw Saints players Paul Loughlin, Bernard Dwyer and Sonny Nickle join Bradford.

References

  1. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (25 June 1998). "Rugby League: Super League delays decision on TV deal". The Independent. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  2. ↑ "'Bosman' deal for rugby". The People. 7 June 1998. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Sam Tomkins to leave Wigan Warriors for New Zealand Warriors in world record deal after World Cup". Telegraph. 23 September 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  4. 1 2 Baker, Andrew (20 August 1995). "100 years of rugby league: From the great divide to the Super era". The Independent. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  5. ↑ "Billy Batten". Hull FC. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  6. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 24.
  7. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 87.
  8. ↑ Dooley, Dave. "Stan McCormick". Saints Heritage Society. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Skentelbery, Gary. "Wolves season review 2006". Warrington Worldwide. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 87.
  11. 1 2 3 4 skysports.com (31 October 2013). "Lewis Jones, Martin Offiah, Garry Schofield and Mick Sullivan to join the Rugby League Hall of Fame". Sky Sports. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  12. 1 2 "Lord Of The Wings". News & Star. 24 March 2006. Archived from the original on January 3, 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  13. ↑ "Brian Shaw RIP". Leeds Rhinos. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  14. ↑ "Paul Charlton joins Workington Town Hall of Fame". News & Star. CN Group. 2 September 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  15. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain: A Social and Cultural History. United Kingdom: Routledge. p. 127.
  16. ↑ "Casey named in Greatest Ever 13". Hull Kingston Rovers RLFC. 2 October 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2014.
  17. ↑ Richards, Martin (27 January 1997). "Lee makes up for those wasted years". The Mirror. London.
  18. ↑ "Four living legends inducted into RL Hall of Fame". Super League. 31 October 2013. Archived from the original on 27 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
  19. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (30 November 1995). "World record fee for Newlove". The Independent. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
  20. ↑ Hadfield, Dave (22 June 2006). "Desperate Wigan capture Fielden for record £450,000". The Independent. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.