Leigh Leopards can confirm that Nathan Wilde has joined Featherstone Rovers on one month’s loan.
Leopards Head of Rugby Chris Chester said: “Nathan is an integral part of the group but right now with the squad as strong as it is he has found playing opportunities limited.
“With him returning from injury we need match fitness in him if he’s going to be ready when called upon, so we’ve decided to send him to Featherstone to get that match sharpness.”
Wilde, 25, joined Leopards from Newcastle Thunder. He made ten first team appearances in 2023 but did not feature in an injury interrupted 2024 season when he spent time on loan at both Widnes Vikings and Doncaster.
The former Wigan Warriors junior has made 60 first team appearances in his career to date, scoring three tries.
Leigh Leopards are delighted to learn that the Ashes series will return this autumn after a 22-year absence.
This fantastic news, announced today by Rugby League Commercial, is another huge positive for the game after a fantastic start to the Betfred Super League season.
Leopards’ amazing 1-0 win at reigning champions Wigan Warriors in Round One has been the catalyst to some highly entertaining games in the opening five rounds of the season. The reemergence of Hull FC, fine form of promoted Wakefield Trinity and continued consistency of Hull KR are among the highlights, but the Las Vegas match-up between Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves was the big story so far, projecting the British game as never before.
With the season simmering along nicely, soon to come to boiling point with the Hull derby in the quarter-final of the Betfred Challenge Cup and the Rivals Round over the Easter programme in Super League, with Magic Weekend just around the corner, the news of the Rugby League Ashes returning is a massive boost for a game on the up.
England will play Australia in a three-Test series against the Kangaroos at Wembley Stadium, the new Everton Stadium at Bramley Moore Dock and AMT Headingley Leeds.
The ABK Beer Ashes Series will be played on three consecutive Saturday afternoons – October 25, November 1 and November 8 – with each kicking off at 2:30pm (GMT) and shown live on BBC One.
Ashes series date back to 1908 when Mick Bolewski, soon to become a Leigh player, was a member of the first Kangaroos. Leigh forward Billy Winstanley was a member of the first touring squad to Australia in 1910 and ever since our players have featured strongly in the ultimate test and ambition of any Rugby League player, to represent his country against Australia.
Leigh greats Joe Cartwright, Joe Darwell, Walter Mooney, Charlie Pawsey, Mick Martyn, Alex Murphy, Kevin Ashcroft, John Woods and Des Drummond are among those who have written their names in Ashes folklore.
Leopards owner Derek Beaumont said: “On behalf of my club I would like to congratulate Rugby League Commercial and those arranging it on their success in bringing about the return of this iconic Rugby League rivalry.
“I look forward to watching the build-up to the highly anticipated series which will generate so much anticipation and excitement throughout the game.
“What a fantastic opportunity it is to work towards for players and the whole sport and something exciting for our fans.
“I wish England head coach Shaun Wane all the support we can as we work together as a sport to bring back the Ashes.
“How great it is for our own Robbie Mulhern, as an England international and for other players to really push themselves to impress Shaun in the coming months and press for selection.
“I know all our supporters will be really looking forward to the series as an extension of an already fantastic season. For many of our younger supporters it will be their first taste of an Ashes series, and they will all want to be part of it.
“Rugby League supporters everywhere will have already marked the dates in their calendars and will put club rivalries aside to support the England team to win back the Ashes that we last held in 1970.”
