York stun champions Hull KR on Super League debut

Betfred Super League

York (6) 19

Tries: Wood 2, Galeano Goals: Harris 3 Drop-Goal: Hingano

Hull KR (6) 18

Reigning champions Hull KR suffered a shock defeat by debutants York Knights in the opening game of the 2026 Super League season.

Sam Wood’s early try gave the hosts a surprise lead before Jai Whitbread barged over to make it 6-6 at the break.

Whitbread reached over for his second score to put the visitors in front and Sauaso Sue went in under the posts to seemingly put Hull KR in charge.

However, the game was turned on its head after the away side were reduced to 12 players after Mikey Lewis was sin-binned for a petulant trip on Liam Harris.

The ramifications of this defeat could also be felt beyond this week for last season’s treble-winners.

York enjoyed a stellar campaign in the Championship in 2025 before being moved up into an expanded Super League alongside Bradford Bulls and Toulouse for this season.

Few gave them a chance in this match, but in front of a passionate home support and in torrential rain throughout, they made a great start when Wood went over in the corner after ill-discipline from the away team gave them good field position.

KR led through Whitbread’s converted try but Harris landed a penalty on the hooter to send the teams in level at half-time.

Willie Peters’ men improved after the interval and Whitbread’s second and Sao’s score looked to have set a platform for a victory with the home side’s energy levels dropping.

But Hull KR’s ill-discipline came back to haunt them when Lewis bizarrely left a foot in on Harris after a kick and was sin-binned.

York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth told BBC Radio 5 live:

“I’m proud as punch. We knew if we could be there or thereabouts in the last 20 minutes then the pressure would be on them and luckily we were.

“We’ve got a lot of self-belief and we’ll back ourselves to the hilt.

“Belief goes a long way in sport and we spoke about that before the game. I know a lot of headlines all week were we were lambs to the slaughter but we were quietly confident if we brought our best version we could challenge them.

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters told BBC Radio Humberside:

“I’m very frustrated. It was a really ill-disciplined performance.

“It was there to see what Mikey did. He needs to learn from what he did because it was a key moment in the game. He knows and he’s owned it but I want to see some action off the back of it.

“We were in control then and then we lost control off the back of it. We didn’t handle it well as a team.

“We knew exactly what they were going to bring, they were very good. They got the crowd involved and worked hard, there was no surprise there. They came over the top of us and in the end we got what we deserved.”

York: Mataafa, Jones-Bishop, Wood, Williams, Galeano, Hingano, Harris, Va’a, McShane, Vaughan, Field, Dee, Thompson.

Interchanges: Balmforth, Martin, Sangare, Griffin.

Hull KR: Mourgue, Davies, Hiku, Gildart, Burgess, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Brown, Martin, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Broadbent, Luckley, Whitbread, Lawton.