
Former Wigan Warriors man and current free agent Ryan Hampshire has spoken on his 2025 plans following his ‘worst’ ever year.
Hampshire is arguably the highest-profile free agent in rugby league in the UK at the moment with the former Wigan Warriors man still unsigned for 2025 despite the season starting in less than a fortnight.
The 30-year-old spoke alongside his agent Craig Harrison of Show Me The Money on the agency’s Full 80 Minutes podcast about his disrupted 2024 and what the future holds.
Hampshire played nine games in 2024 but never played more than three games in a row as injuries wreaked havoc to his plans, something that he’s argued ensured he had his “worst” year in spite of the fact that Wigan Warriors won every piece of silverware on offer.
He explained: “I had a pretty tough year last year, the club and team had the best year ever and I had my worst.
“I picked up an injury in late April, I fell on my knee awkwardly and I did a grade two BCL (Bicruciate Ligament). My knee was stable though and the specialist said that I’d be back to fitness within 12 weeks but I could train with pain management.”
Rather than wait the recommended 12 weeks, Hampshire was back in action at just six weeks as he made a bid to earn a shot at Wembley in the Challenge Cup Final.
“I played at six weeks on the week before Wembley,” the 30-year-old explained.
“I thought I’d give it a go and try and get into the team and I had my worst game in a long time and did the exact same injury at the start of the game.
“Ever since then, it was just a spiral down and I struggled massively. Probably the worst thing I did was training and playing, I should have got myself fit.”
Released Wigan Warriors man speaks on injury-hit year and 2025 plans

Credit: Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com
Despite upsetting that same knee injury, Hampshire was back in action the week after the Challenge Cup Final but his season-ending injury came almost two months later in Wigan’s loss to Leeds Rhinos.
He recalled: “It got to the game against Leeds and it was a game too far, I should have pulled out that week. I went in nowhere near but it was when we had to play three games in nine days.”
Given the Warriors’ participation in the World Club Challenge and the fact they made it to the Challenge Cup Final, they saw their Round Two game against Leigh crammed into mid-week resulting in three games in nine days.
With Bevan French out, Hampshire played in each game which culminated in his body “breaking down” as he worsened his knee injury and broke his arm in the 30-4 loss.
He explained: “By the third game, my body was breaking down and I ended up breaking my arm that game as well. I should have pulled out in that warm up but maybe an ego thing makes you play.
“I made errors in that game and put my team under pressure but I also broke my arm in that game.”
Incredibly, he is only just returning to the field now which is one of the major reasons why he remains an unattached free agent with the 30-year-old keen to avoid previous mistakes and ensure he is 100% fit before committing his 2025 future.
“I’ve only just got the clear now six months later but I’ve got to rehab for eight weeks,” he added.
“I had my knee fixed in November, I started sprinting last week and now my arm is cleared but rehab for eight weeks so I could join in skills training.”
Assessing his 2024 season and where it has ultimately left him, he argued: “I was playing at 50%. I had some really good games at Wigan when I played, it’s just that I had two bad ones when I was really struggling with injury.
“That’s what people remember which is probably (leading) to the situation I’m in now where people remember a bad game or your injuries.
“You go through cycles in your career and I’m just at a low cycle but it can change quick.”
Having just got the all clear for his arm, Hampshire can begin full training but it doesn’t seem likely that he will find a club before the Super League season starts meaning he may have to wait for when an opportunity presents itself.

DH
February 5, 2025 at 7:41 am
It sounds like you’re being quite rational and philosophical about things which is good to see. You’ll always be critical of your own performances but don’t forget – you were part of the squad that did it all and everyone played their part in a fantastic year. Keep your chin up Rocky, you’ll be back in no time.
William friar
February 5, 2025 at 3:52 pm
The club must take some of the blame on why you was allowed to play with injuries and ended up with more. where was their medical staff to advise you not to play as you were unfit , surely a club as big as wigan would have had cover for any player out.