HULL KR and North Queensland Cowboys have entered into a partnership to develop on and off field pathways and working groups.
The Super League and NRL sides, have been working together in the background for the last six months, to create and meaningful partnership to mutually benefit both clubs on and off the field.
Three virtual cross club working groups will be established and will meet monthly across first team, academy and the off-field commercial side of the clubs. The two CEOs will then meet bi-monthly to discuss and review the learnings from each group.
As part of the partnership, the two sides, who both head out to Las Vegas early 2026 when Super League and the NRL take over the entertainment capital of the world, will take part in an opposed session in the build-up to the big day at Allegiant Stadium on February 28th.
North Queensland Toyota Cowboys CEO, Jeff Reibel, said: “Hull KR are a club whose values and ambitions closely mirror our own. As high-performing organisations in the NRL and Super League respectively, both clubs are committed to long term success while delivering genuine community impact.
“This partnership opens development opportunities for our staff and organisation as a whole. It aligns with our focus on evolving our operations and learning from like-minded organisations to ensure we remain progressive and competitive.
“Importantly, it does not alter our existing player pathways system. It is designed to enhance our broader organisational capability by connecting with another performance driven club committed to growth.
“We look forward to the opportunity for our two clubs to come together in person in Las Vegas in 2026 to build further on the shared foundations we’ve begun to establish.”
Hull KR Chief Executive, Paul Lakin, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to understand the inner workings of a well resourced NRL club. From first team to off field, there’s so much we can share with each other and learn from.
“Like us, the Cowboys operate slightly outside the traditional ‘bubble’ and place a big emphasis on incremental growth, community development and the matchday experience to grow.
“This is not about signing or stealing each other’s talent, it’s a meaningful partnership for genuine mutual benefit including potential job swaps, and opportunities for our academy to tour Queensland.
“We were attracted to the Cowboys because of the similar straight forward approach to things, and their strong community values which are also important to us.
“We are keen to emphasise, this is not an announcement we will make, and then we sit on the shelf, this will be a proactive relationship, that has six months of planning behind it, which we look forward to progressing over the coming years.”