TRIBUTES are being paid following the death of John Kear at 71.
The highly-respected former England coach had worked as a BBC pundit at Saturday’s Challenge Cup final.
Over coaching career which spanned more than 700 matches, former Castleford Tigers player Kear took charge of Bramley, Paris Saint-Germain, Sheffield Eagles, Huddersfield Giants, Hull FC, Wakefield Trinity, Batley Bulldogs, Bradford Bulls and Widnes Vikings, and at international level, France and Wales as well as England.
RFL chair Nigel Wood 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 ten-year career at Castleford, he found his passion for coaching which saw him oversee more than 700 games across a career which included coaching England in the 2000 World Cup, Wales in the 2017 and 2021 World Cups.
“He oversaw Challenge Cup victories at Sheffield Eagles and Hull FC, and most recently took 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 which had given him so much, in the same way he had given back.”