Hull FC forward forced to retire with immediate effect due to injury

Hull FC back-rower Oliver Holmes has made the decision to step away from professional rugby league with immediate effect. Holmes has been plagued by injury this season and on the back of that he has decided to retire from the professional game halfway through the Super League campaign.

It comes after 15 years at the top end of the game, with the back-rower making 281 appearances and scoring 51 tries. A majority of those outings came in the colours of Castleford Tigers, where he made his professional debut and spent 11 seasons.

He left the Tigers to join Warrington Wolves in 2022 before moving on to spend two seasons with Leigh Leopards. He joined the Black and Whites ahead of the 2025 campaign and while he managed to get himself a heritage number in the Challenge Cup win over York Acorn, he failed to make a Super League appearance for the club.

A knee injury is to blame for that, with Holmes failing to recover from the issue despite undergoing surgery earlier this year.

Hull FC man Oliver Holmes’ confirms retirement with emotional message

“Calling it a day has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve made throughout my career,” Holmes told the Hull FC website.

“The head still wanted to go, but unfortunately the body was saying no. I gave myself every chance to get back playing again, but unfortunately that just didn’t happen and that’s the way it is in sport sometimes.

“We’ve tried different injections and I’ve been for surgery, but things just haven’t worked out how I wanted them to on the medical side of things and now’s the time to call it a day sadly.

“The hardest part of it was telling all of the lads last week. I told them all how gutted I was that I wouldn’t be able to take to the field with them and represent this club. That was really emotional being stood up there in front of them all, delivering that news.

“I did one last training session with the team on Thursday and then after that I got a hug off each one of the boys to say goodbye. Then when I got home, I had a load of texts from all of the coaching staff with some really nice messages. All of that just sums up what a tight-knit group it is this year.

“I’ve not really had too much time to reflect on my career yet, but a lot of the lads told me I should be proud of what I’ve achieved in the game. That’s what gets me emotional – knowing that those good times are gone and I won’t be able to experience those moments as a player anymore.

“Looking back now, winning the League Leaders’ Shield in 2017 with Cas and winning the Challenge Cup with Leigh in 2023 – I’d say they are the standouts in my career. Representing England was also a really big moment for me and my family.

“But one thing that I will cherish the most from my time in professional rugby league is the friendships I have made.

“What I will say is that everyone at Hull FC has got a lot to look forward to moving forwards. The club has got a lot right with the rebuild and things are moving in the right direction at a great speed. The players can feel it at training and it’s visible in games – this group is doing something special.

“As I leave Hull FC, I want to say a massive thank you to everybody at the club – the players and the staff – for the support they have given me during my time here.”