Tigers to proudly wear heritage numbers

Over 1,000 players have taken to the field for Castleford, and in the 2023 season, our First Team will carry their own heritage number on their playing shirts.

Every player who has made a competitive match appearance for Castleford Rugby League Football Club since 1926 has an associated heritage number, and from February when the new Betfred Super League season begins, the Fords will have them on their playing shirts and wear them with pride.

The first-ever player to receive a heritage number for our club was William Hargrave, who represented Castleford during the 1920s.

Over the next 97 years, many legendary Cas players received their numbers such as Arthur Atkinson (#21) who lifted the Club’s first-ever Challenge Cup. The iconic H-Bombs Alan Hardisty (#433) and Keith Hepworth (#442) who together formed arguably one of the greatest partnerships in our Club’s history. One of the finest servants to the sport of rugby league, beloved on both sides of the world, Malcolm Reilly (#512). The record holder for Castleford match appearances with an astonishing 613 games played for the Fords is John Joyner (#551). A modern-day legend for the Tigers who was highly respected across Super League and was also one of our greatest captains, Michael Shenton (#810).

The Tigers’ Head Groundsman & Kitman Stuart Vause explained that the Club has wanted to acknowledge the players’ heritage numbers for some time.

“We’ve planned on doing it for a while, probably since I’ve been here. I think it’s nice to be able to celebrate the history, the heritage, and the players both past and present.

“I mentioned it to Radders (Lee Radford) and he has been fully on board with it. It also got the backing of all the lads I spoke to, the likes of Macca (Paul McShane, Mass (Nathan Massey), Adz (Adam Milner) and a few others and they thought it would be absolutely brilliant that we could do it this year.

“Macca’s number is 961 and we’ve had a lot of players to get to that and I think that the players will be proud to run out in the shirt with their heritage numbers on this season.

“We are three years off one hundred years of the club and what better way to celebrate our history with having the heritage numbers on the shirts going forward.”

Our latest addition to the Tigers’ heritage numbers is #1022 which belongs to Alex Mellor following his move to Wheldon Road during the 2022 season.

This of course means that the next competitive debuting player, in positional order for Castleford, will receive #1023 – and that could be one of our new recruits such as Gareth Widdop, Jacob Miller, or Muizz Mustapha. That next number could also go to one of our emerging talents through the Academy or Reserves such as Aaron Willis, Hugo Nikhata or George Hill.

Head Coach Lee Radford shared his thoughts on the importance of acknowledging our history by adding heritage numbers to the First Team’s playing strips.

“I think for some of the players it will feel very important, they will take some pride in being part of this Club’s history, what’s being worn now and what has come before them to get to this point, and it may be impactful for them.

“I do think knowing your history of the team and what has been before your time is important, particularly for the local lads who see the former players in the town itself.”

Modern-day heritage numbers for the Club are assigned from competitive debuts, such as in the Super League or Challenge Cup. If more than one player debuts for the Tigers in the same match, heritage numbers are awarded in position order*.

Joe Westerman - #869
Nathan Massey - #876
Liam Watts - #877
Adam Milner - #910
Greg Eden - #918
Paul McShane - #961
Daniel Smith - #990
Danny Richardson - #995
George Griffin - #996
Sam Hall - #998
Brad Martin - #1003
Niall Evalds - #1004
Jordan Turner - #1005
Suaia Matagi - #1007
Jason Qareqare - #1008
Cain Robb - #1011
Bureta Faraimo - #1016
Jake Mamo - #1017
Mahe Fonua - #1018
Kenny Edwards - #1019
Alex Sutcliffe - #1020
George Lawler - #1021
Alex Mellor - #1022

Modern-day heritage numbers for the Club are assigned from competitive debuts, such as in the Super League or Challenge Cup. If more than one player debuts for the Tigers in the same match, heritage numbers are awarded in position order*.

*(Fullback, right wing, right centre, left wing, stand off, scrum half, open side prop, hooker, blind side prop, open side second row, blind side second row, and loose forward.