Hear from Hunslet's Ross Whitmore ahead of the 2025 Betfred Championship campaign...
Hunslet RLFC have a sensational story.
From finishing fourth in the regular Betfred League One league standings, they well and truly owned the underdog tag – as the West Yorkshire side went on to secure an emphatic promotion to the second tier.
The club will compete in the Betfred Championship for the first time since 2015, and Ross Whitmore, one Hunslets heroes from last year, is on board for the upcoming campaign:
But first, he reflected on what was a complete and utter whirlwind of a 2024:
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster really. The season had a lot of ups and downs and then we spoke about coming into the Play-Offs with some form,” said Whitmore.
“The group we had was super strong and resilient, and we managed to churn the wins out.
“We always spoke about winning promotion and when it just started happening, we just stuck together, all fought for each other, and went on to do the unthinkable.”
And after losing out to Rochdale Hornets at the first hurdle of the Play-Offs, the idea of promotion did appear unlikely.
But the momentum and belief that quickly followed meant that Dean Muir’s men became completely unstoppable, as Whitmore explained:
“After we played Rochdale in the first Play-Off game, nobody was sulking. After that loss we just knew, and we went on to beat Midlands [Hurricanes] in a scrappy win and then faced Rochdale again – we knew we had to turn it on there.
“Then against Keighley, this prepared us for Swinton the following week, and I think it was the knowing that the season was over after that one.
“We were definitely massive underdogs, and it was massive on the boys so it’s a credit to everyone.”
After three wins on the spin the league’s Play-Offs, including a Play-Off Final trophy lift against then favourites Keighley, Hunslet found themselves preparing for a trip to Swinton Lions, where their fate would be decided.
The Promotion Final then brought all the drama, as Whitmore and his teammates managed to overturn a 10-0 deficit to produce a blistering neck and neck battle with the Swinton opposition.
As the clock counted down, the atmosphere at Heywood Road has never been so tense, as Jack Render snatched victory with a last gasp try in the corner.
Hunslet would come away 20-22 victors, earning their place in the 2025 Championship in memorable fashion.
And fittingly, it was Whitmore who was the last player to be touching the ball when the final whistle blew, before celebrations and the Hunslet crowd erupted.
“I think I kicked it somewhere, just to make sure! It was honestly surreal!” Whitmore smiled.
“We got on the bus travelling back to Hunslet and we were all thinking ‘Wow we’ve actually fully done it’.
“Although we won the trophy at Keighley, it was in the back of our minds that we’d have to go again the week after. Whereas after the Swinton one, that was it, it was all done.”
And Whitmore is committed to the cause having penned a new deal which will see him in Hunslet colours until at least the end of the 2025 season:
“It was 100% an easy decision to stay. I was willing to stay at Hunslet midway through the year last year. Fortunately, the club put faith in me to carry on into the Championship which I’m buzzing about.”
Hunslet have made multiple signings ahead of their comeback to the Championship competition, and as pre-season reaches its conclusion, Whitmore outlined his side’s key goals as they adjust to life in the second tier:
“Pre-season is good. It’s always hard at first when you’re trying to put new people and combinations together, but it’s slowly turning, and the boys know where we’re out.
“It’s about buying our time, keep turning up, making every session count, but it’s a long season so there’s still lots to work on.
“For the team, we want to stay in the Championship and establish ourselves. We don’t just want to come up to go back down. We want to be able to build our own little culture and identity.”
The challenge of the Championship is one that excites Whitmore greatly, who is raring to go and has his own clear aims and ambitions in mind:
“Personally, off the back of that, if we can do that, then I’ll try and play the most consistent I can be.
“I want to be play week in week out and knocking on the door to get as many wins as we can.
“I’m looking forward to playing against my old club Doncaster, but it’s just about getting that chance to play against a great calibre of players, and that consistency of having to be on your game every single week.
“There are also more games to play and it’s just being able to test myself and get to that next level.”
Hunslet’s first fixture will see them take a trip to face Barrow Raiders on Sunday, a team who finished in 11th place in 2024. But Whitmore is certainly under no illusions and is expecting a tough test for the Hunslet newcomers:
“Last year we played Barrow in pre-season game, and we’ve all agreed that you don’t get many tougher places to go. It’s the middle of February and it’s going to be wet and cold, but it’ll be a great test to see where we’re at!”
How do you think Hunslet will fare in 2025 Betfred Championship competition?
The full fixture list for the new Betfred Championship season can be found here.
