Former Challenge Cup-winning coach and rugby league broadcaster John Kear has died suddenly at the age of 71. The Rugby Football League announced that the Yorkshireman passed away on Sunday upon his return from covering Wigan Warriors’ Challenge Cup victory at Wembley for the BBC.
A Storied Coaching Career
Kear led nine clubs across a distinguished coaching career spanning more than 700 matches. He famously masterminded a shock Challenge Cup win for Sheffield Eagles in 1998 before steering Hull FC to glory in 2005. He also coached at the international level, taking charge of England, Wales, and France over the course of his career. Before his long spell in the dugout, Kear spent a decade playing as an outside back at Castleford. He officially retired from coaching in 2025 following a second stint at Batley.
Tributes from the Rugby Community
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 that included coaching England in the 2000 World Cup, Wales in the 2017 and 2021 World Cup, overseeing Challenge Cup victories at Sheffield Eagles and Hull FC, and most recently taking 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.”
