Ex-Leeds Rhinos man becomes first 2025 signing for London Broncos

London Broncos have made their first official signing for the 2025 season and it comes in the shape of a former Leeds Rhinos man.

After their relegation from Super League, London lost the vast majority of their squad with many having only been tied to one-year deals and that has seen Mike Eccles’ side thrust into a total rebuild.

At the time of writing, just five players have re-signed for the club whilst Sam Winney has signed his first professional contract after being named as the Reserves’ Player of the Year.

Now, the capital side has made their first new signing and it’s a familiar face with former academy forward Ben Hursey-Hord returning to the club after spells with Leeds Rhinos and Halifax Panthers.

Hursey-Hord signed for the Rhinos in 2022 when he moved to Leeds for university. His first-team playing opportunities would come with Halifax Panthers whom he signed for in February of this year before also getting game time at Whitehaven.

Former Leeds Rhinos man rejoins London

Hursey-Hord, now 22, has signed on as the seventh player in the Broncos squad but spoke of his excitement to return to the club with whom he first made major striders.

“I’m really excited to be coming back to London,” the 22-year-old explained.

“I’m looking forward to this new chapter with the club and looking forward to getting stuck in this season.”

His time at Leeds Rhinos saw him become a regular in the club’s reserves whilst he also played in the 2023 pre-season game against Bradford Bulls.

First-team opportunities never arose so he made the move to Halifax Panthers where he would make 10 appearances before his three-game loan spell at Whitehaven.

He now joins a rebuilding London who are looking to put their squad back together following their relegation from Super League last season.