Halifax Panthers have announced the appointment of Kyle Eastmond as Head Coach on a three year contract.
Former Dual Code International Eastmond will take over from the departing Liam Finn, taking charge at The Shay until the end of the 2027 Betfred Championship season.
Born in Oldham, 35 year old Eastmond started his Rugby journey with local community club Oldham St Annes before beginning his professional playing career with St Helens, coming through the academy system at The Totally Wicked Stadium to make his first team debut back in 2007.
An accomplished goal kicking half back, he made 74 appearances for Saints scoring 45 tries, making his England Rugby League debut in the 2009 Four Nations against France at Doncaster.
His natural ability quickly caught the eye of Rugby Union scouts, and Eastmond decided to switch codes in 2011 when he signed for Bath, spending five seasons at The Recreation Ground. He would go on to earn international honours as he made his England debut in June 2013, scoring soon after coming off the bench against Argentina in Buenos Aires. He also enjoyed spells in Premiership Rugby with Wasps and Leicester Tigers.
Eastmond returned to Rugby League for a final season with Leeds Rhinos before hanging up his boots at the end of 2021. Since then, Eastmond has been earning his coaching stripes across both codes, including stints with Rotherham, Jersey Reds and most recently Warrington Wolves in Super League.
And the new Panthers boss is relishing the start of his coaching career in West Yorkshire.
“I’m really excited to be here”, said Eastmond. “It’s been a couple of weeks organising ourselves but now we’re here and we’re sorted, I’m excited and looking forward now. The conversations to bring me here were brilliant, I spoke with Richard (Durgan) and Damian (Clayton) and it was really open and honest. They made me feel welcome straight away, and now it’s all done, I’m just excited to get on with things and start working.”
When questioned on his first impressions of the club and the stadium, Eastmond continued: “Yeah, well it’s a bit foggy today, isn’t it? (Laughs) But yeah, it’s good. I’ve been here at The Shay plenty of times. And I’ve seen Halifax play quite a few times growing up at this stadium, I’ve got some good friends that played here and obviously, my cousin (Miles Greenwood) who played here too so it’s nice to be back.”
“Growing up in Rugby League in Oldham, you know all about the Championship. I spent plenty of my younger days travelling around watching the games, spent plenty of days up here watching good friends of mine and family members play so I’m well aware of how good the Championship is and of the challenge ahead. I’m looking forward to it.”
“It’s my first time as a head coach but I think that’s another exciting opportunity, and also being at such a great Rugby League club like Halifax, you can’t help but be excited about that. My aspirations short term are just to get the team out there putting the hard work in, reaffirming our identity, and let’s get some enjoyment back into what we’re doing. We’ll get the foundations right and we’ll go from there.”
“I’ve had a different journey to a lot of Rugby League coaches, or Rugby League players, and like I said, I’ve had plenty of good coaching, plenty of different techniques and different ways to look at a game or dissect a game. And trust me, I’ll be trying to implement that into what we’re doing here. In terms of my experience, anything I can bring from outside of Rugby League or with some of my network for looking at the game, I’ll be doing so.”
When asked about his preferred playing style and Rugby philosophy, Eastmond added: “As a player, I was somebody that wanted to excite the fans, you know. I wanted to play in a positive and attacking mindset which is still there and trust me, that’s something that I expect. But also, I’m aware that that all starts with hard work and putting in the graft first, that is what is going to underpin this team. We’ll get there and we’ll entertain, there’s no doubt about that, but first and foremost we’re putting the hard work in.”
Panthers CEO Damian Clayton is delighted to have Eastmond at the helm: “I’m thrilled to announce that Kyle Eastmond will join Halifax Panthers as our new Head Coach.
“Kyle’s experience and reputation in both rugby league and rugby union are outstanding. From his early success at St Helens to high-profile roles with Bath, Wasps, Leicester Tigers, and Leeds Rhinos, he has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to high standards and professionalism within the elite performance arena. Most recently, Kyle worked with Warrington Wolves to help mentor their younger talent, reinforcing the values of discipline, self-awareness, and dedication in driving excellence both on and off the field.”
“As a dual-code international with England, Kyle brings with him a winning mentality developed under some of the best in the business. Stepping into the Championship will undoubtedly test his capabilities, but Kyle’s extensive network of confidants and high emotional intelligence position him well to lead the team forward. His leadership style and commitment to accountability align perfectly with the culture we’re building at Halifax Panthers. We’re confident that under Kyle’s guidance, the club will rise to new levels of success, both for our players and our loyal supporters.”
“This appointment marks the start of an exciting new era for the Panthers. Please join me in warmly welcoming Kyle to the Halifax Panthers family as we set our sights on a bright and ambitious future together.”
