Former Great Britain international commits to incredible 28th season in professional rugby league

Paul Sykes has committed himself to play what will be his 28th season as a professional rugby league player.

The veteran has signed a new one-year deal with Dewsbury Rams, with the 44-year-old continuing to play a key role for the Championship club. The deal means he will play on until he is 45 having started his career as a teenager back in 1999 with Bradford Bulls.

Sykes has been with Dewsbury since 2016 and is now closing in on 200 appearances for the West Yorkshire club, needing just three more outings to hit the milestone. He made 11 outings last season for the Rams in League One but still managed to get himself over for a try, while also kicking 15 goals, meaning he has now recorded 1105 points for his hometown club.

“What more can you say about Sykesy? He is a true marvel of the game,” head coach Paul March said. “His physical condition is a testament to his dedication, and his rugby brain is second to none.”

Paul Sykes set for 28th season in rugby league

The Yorkshireman played nine times for Bradford as a youngster before moving on to make his name as a rugby league player at London Broncos. He spent seven seasons in the capital, making 137 appearances and scoring 49 tries and it was during his spell with the Broncos that he earned a call up for both England and Great Britain. He collected five caps for the former and made one appearance in a Lions jersey.

He returned to Odsal in 2008, where he made 100 appearances before joining Wakefield Trinity on an initial loan in 2012 before joining permanently in 2013. A move to Featherstone came in 2015 before he joined Dewsbury a season later.

As it stands, over the course of his 27 seasons in the game, he has made 539 club appearances, scored 148 tries and 2791 points.

Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.