Former Hull FC and Castleford Tigers star completes shock rugby union move

A former Hull FC and Castleford Tigers star is reportedly headed to rugby union.

This is Bureta Faraimo who has been plying his trade for Doncaster lately alongside former Castleford and Hull teammate Mahe Fonua.

Now that the season is over he is set to move to rugby union as per the Doncaster Free Press.

He is set to join rugby union side Hull RUFC in the National League 2 North.

He said to the Doncaster Free Press:

“I’m playing at Hull with the ambition of kicking on and seeing where we go,” he said.

“I used to play rugby union back at school but the game I played ten years ago is not the game that’s being played today.”

Faraimo is enjoying the challenge of switching codes and being the rookie, rather than a veteran.

“I have always wanted to give rugby union a go,” he said.

“But the last time the opportunity came up was the lockdown, so it was pretty hard to be moving around with no security.

“Now, the opportunity came up.”

Fonua and Faraimo were released from Betfred Super League side Castleford Tigers in late July, making the experienced pair available for the Dons to snap up.

Dons head coach Richard Horne said: “As soon as we became aware of both Fonua and Faraimo’s availability we made contact. The opportunity to bring in such high quality and vastly experienced players is something we can’t turn down and that’s what these two bring to the squad.

“Leading into the playoffs you want options in terms of squad depth and the careers Mahe and Bureta have had in top flight rugby league so far speak for themselves.”

Fonua and Faraimo have notched up over 300 appearances, racking up almost 600 points, across the NRL and Super League.

This weekend, Keighley Cougars were relegated and will be replaced by Doncaster who defeated North Wales Crusaders today in the League One Play Off Final to secure promotion alongside Dewsbury Rams.

Newcastle Thunder had already been relegated from the Championship.

Swinton Lions live to fight another day and Whitehaven, who played yesterday and started today in the relegation zone, are also safe despite having the disadvantage of giving Keighley and Swinton an exact formula of how to stay up today which would have been unfair but they have seen their survival confirmed.