Keighley Cougars Step Up to Support Ukrainian National Rugby League Team Amid War

Keighley Cougars Rugby League Club has proudly stepped in to support the Ukrainian National Rugby League Team, offering solidarity and practical help as the team continues to operate against the backdrop of war.

The club responded immediately after a recent episode of The Last Leg, where hosts Adam Hills and guest Alastair Campbell highlighted the Ukrainian team’s struggle to maintain fixtures, kits, and basic operations during the ongoing conflict. A call was made on air for anyone willing to assist — and Keighley Cougars answered without hesitation.

Within hours of the episode airing, Cougars co-owner Ryan O’Neill contacted Campbell and offered to produce free kits for all Ukrainian teams, ranging from under-12s to the senior national side.

With the kits now completed and delivered to England, Ryan O’Neill and fellow owner Kaue Garcia are setting off on a journey to hand-deliver them to Kyiv. Departing Monday, 14 July, the duo will fly to Poland before boarding a 15-hour bus into Ukraine, where they will meet representatives and players from the national squad.

“We wanted to help from the moment we saw the episode and thought about how we could make a difference,” said Ryan O’Neill. “Not only have we produced the kits for free, but we’ve also launched a special replica shirt that reads ‘We Stand With Ukraine’ — and every penny from those sales will go directly to support the Ukrainian national team.”

This act of solidarity is the latest in a long list of community and humanitarian efforts by O’Neill and Garcia since acquiring Keighley Cougars in 2019. From raising over £10,000 for local hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic to donating PPE to care homes, launching the world’s first Pride rugby league match, and working with schools to offer free PE lessons — the pair have consistently used sport as a platform for inclusion, compassion, and social good.