After a gap in league action of three weeks, Fylde travel to Hull RUFC on Saturday (ko 14.00) and will be attempting to extend their record breaking six out of six victories to open a National League season. Despite Hull’s league position in 12th place, they have a strong squad who can cause problems for any opponents. For instance, in last Saturday’s game at Lightfoot Green, Preston Grasshoppers took an early 14-0 lead and looked to be well in control. A 2nd half comeback by the visitors crowned by a late 73rd minute try gave Hull only their 3rd win of the season by 17-24. As the stats below illustrate, the Ferrens Ground has not been a happy hunting ground for the Lancastrians so another tough challenge awaits.
Fixtures between Fylde and Hull do not have a long history. Hull RUFC was formed on July 1st 1992 as a result of a merger between Old Hymerians RUFC and Hull & East Riding RUFC (1989). There have been only 12 previous league games between the two clubs which began in 2009-10 when Hull took the honours with victories at the Ferrens Ground by 31-25 and at the Woodlands by 16-25. The following season saw this reversed with Fylde victorious by 37-8 at home and 9-31 in Hull.
With Fylde being promoted to National One at the end of that season, there was a gap of nine years before fixtures began again in 2019-20. In the campaign which came to an abrupt end in March 2020 when Covid 19 struck, the only game was in November at the Woodlands when the visitors edged home by 20-22. On the restoration of fixtures post-Covid in 2021-22, Hull swept through the campaign to finish as outstanding champions and were promoted to National One (level 3) for the first time. There were two cracking matches between the clubs that season, with Hull winning both, by 22-14 at the Ferrens Ground and 26-28 at the Woodlands.
The difference between National One and Two is well known. For every club that steps up between the divisions and flourishes such as Caldy, other struggle greatly. Hull were in the latter category and went through the whole 2022-23 season with just one draw and 25 defeats.
Fixtures between the Clubs were restored in the 2023-24 campaign and two home wins were the result. Last season saw Fylde struggle once again to come out on top at the Ferrens Ground as they went down by 23-21 in a very tight exchange. The return game at the Woodlands saw a clear 35-13 home win and in Sept 2025 a similar result (40-29) at the Woodlands. But Hull hold the bragging rights with a 7-5 win advantage overall.
Hull RUFC have a rather different set-up than Fylde in that they are a one team club, with no Mini-Juniors and sharing the Hull Sports Ground complex in the heart of the City with a variety of other sports clubs including football, lawn tennis, bowling and cricket. They have been extremely successful in securing sufficiently large sponsorships to fund the 1st XV squad and the rest of the considerable expenses running a National League club. Their principal benefactor over many years have been construction company Beal Homes, with the owning family at times leading the governance as well as the financing of the Club.
They have a history of recruiting fine players from far and wide including a number that have made the cross-code switch in a RL dominated City. Hull’s Head Coach for a number of seasons was the very experienced Mike Omaga and he has been succeeded this season by Declan Cusack as the new Head Coach. Dec is a former professional Irish rugby union player. The Limerick born fly half who has also played centre has former clubs including Munster, Gernika, Plymouth Albion, and Doncaster and a brief spell at Leicester Tigers on his resume.
Dec is focused on utilising the squad’s size and strength to get the most of the team with his direct structure. The most well known star of the pack over recent seasons has been the veteran and much travelled Tongan international backrower Latu Makaafi. Before his most recent spell at Hull, he’s spent periods at Bradford & Bingley (2 seasons), Hull (1 season), Wharfedale (1), Doncaster Knights (2), Rotherham Titans (1), Jersey (1), Doncaster Knights (2) & Coventry (2).
The Hull pack includes other quality, experienced personnel including ex-Premiership veteran prop Charlie Beech, alongside powerful prop Loma Kivalu and hooker Michael Jobling. Powerful back five forwards include Paulos Latu, Liam Regardsoe, Jose Uriburu-Gray and David Halaifonua who sometimes doubles up as a centre.
Stalwart of the three quarters over recent years is club skipper Ali Heard who is now the record holder of number of appearances for the Club with over 240. New recruits to the backline this season include two talented players who made their names in rugby league, Thomas Minns (formerly with Wakefield Trinity, Leeds Rhinos, Featherstone Rovers, Hull KR & Goole Vikings) and Tom Lineham (ex-York Knights & Goole Vikings).
Hull’s fly-half (or fullback), playmaker and goal kicker, Reece Dean, is another with cross-code experience, with periods at Doncaster, Sheffield, Hunslet, Newcastle, Rochdale & Goole) and has had almost a decade at Hull RUFC.
Dean is the leading scorer with 89 points and the try scoring ranking is headed by Lineham and Beech with five.
The photos below are from the game between the clubs at the Woodlands in October 2025.
