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. "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. 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. 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. "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.