Hull FC full-back Jamie Shaul will call time on his Rugby League career at the end of the 2023 season having announced his retirement from the sport.
Shaul, 31, will end a professional career which began in 2013, having made 200 appearances for his hometown club and cementing himself as one of the Black and Whites’ stand out performers of the Super League era.
As a back-to-back Challenge Cup winner, Shaul was the man who secured victory in Hull’s first ever Wembley win in 2016 with his match winning try – one of the most iconic moments in the club’s history.
The one-time England international leaves the club with a significant legacy, alongside fellow Challenge Cup winner Scott Taylor who will also retire at the end of the season.
In just his sixth competitive match for the Airlie Birds, he started the 2013 Challenge Cup Final at full-back, and although it was disappointment for Hull on that occasion, he would etch his name into the history books three years later with the crucial score on the Wembley turf in the 2016 final.
In what would become arguably Shaul’s finest campaign to date, he was rewarded for his impressive season with a place in the Super League Dream Team alongside five of his teammates.
In 2018, having secured his spot as one of the competition’s best full-backs, Shaul was handed his international debut for England, assisting two tries against France at the Leigh Sports Village.
Shaul spent the second-half of the 2022 season on loan at Wakefield Trinity and helped the side secure Super League survival, but returned to FC ahead of the 2023 campaign where he was rewarded with a season-long testimonial by the RFL for a decade of service to the club.
He made his 200th appearance for the club earlier this month, becoming one of only nine players to reach that milestone during the Super League era, alongside the likes of Richard Horne, Danny Houghton, and Kirk Yeaman – fellow Hull born stars of whom Shaul will be held in the same regard.
Shaul’s professional career in Rugby League will come to an end at the culmination of the club’s 2023 Betfred Super League campaign as he begins his journey exploring other opportunities away from the sport.
Speaking on his decision to hang up his boots, Shaul said: “It’s a decision I made quite a while ago. I feel like it’s a good time to call it a day. I’m really happy with what I have achieved in the game; when I signed my first contract, I didn’t think I’d even make an appearance so to do it for ten years is special.
“I used to come and watch this team and support them as a kid, and I’ve lived my boyhood dream.
“It wasn’t an easy decision but this is the right time for me and my family. But I’ll look back on my career with fond memories as I head into the next chapter of my life.
“Even though my body could handle a few more years, I’m convinced in my decision and haven’t questioned it once since I decided.”
Shaul added: “If you speak to any professional player, they’ll tell you its a rollercoaster and it really has been. But looking back now, the only memories I hold onto are happy ones. I’ve met some great people along the way and some lifelong friends too.
“I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved; it’s a lot of hard work to become a professional rugby player and there’s a lot of pressure on you too. I’d like to think I owre my heart on my sleeve and did my bit for the club.”
