John Kear has passed away, aged 71 - 'He was a great rugby league man'

Rugby league icon John Kear has passed away at the age of 71.

Kear was a member of the BBC’s commentary team on Saturday for the Challenge Cup final as Wigan Warriors beat Hull KR 40-10 at Wembley. However, he died suddenly on Sunday afternoon, returning to the north of England.

The Yorkshireman was a well-respected and well-liked figure in the game he adored, having lifted the Challenge Cup twice as a head coach during his distinguished coaching career.

Firstly, with Sheffield Eagles against Wigan at Wembley in 1998, which is perhaps the greatest upset in the 130-year history of the competition, and then in 2005, as his Hull FC side defeated Leeds Rhinos in Cardiff.

Sheffield and Hull were two of the nine clubs he worked for in an iconic career which lasted more than 700 matches.

Kear will be remembered fondly, especially in Wakefield, where he enjoyed five seasons with Trinity, and most recently in two stints with Batley Bulldogs, before finally retiring from head coaching at the end of last year.

Kear was also an assistant at Wigan and coached the national teams of France, England and Wales, as well as Great Britain Academy on a tour of New Zealand in 1996, when he was employed by the Rugby Football League as player performance manager.

Kear was born and raised in Castleford, and although he never was the head coach of the Tigers, he made 100 appearances in the black and amber during his playing career as an outside back. He was Mal Reilly’s assistant when Castleford won the Challenge Cup in 1986.

Nigel Wood, chair of the RFL, paid tribute to Kear by saying: “On behalf of the whole sport, our thoughts and condolences are with John’s wife Dawn, his family, and with those who played or worked alongside him over the last 50 years.

“Having had a 10-year career at Castleford, he found his passion for coaching, which saw him oversee more than 700 games across a career which included coaching England in the 2000 World Cup, Wales in the 2017 and 2021 World Cup, oversaw Challenge Cup victories at Sheffield Eagles and Hull FC, and most recently took Batley Bulldogs to the Championship Grand Final.

“But John was also an excellent broadcast summariser with a great turn of phrase and an undiluted love and positivity for the sport.

“It was always a pleasure to see John, at Wakefield Trinity games most recently, as he was full of energy and enthusiasm for the game he clearly loved and had given him so much, in the same way he had given back.”

Meanwhile, Sky Sports commentator Dave Woods, who became a close friend of Kear’s through their commentary partnership for the BBC, said: “This is devastating news for all of us, but especially for Dawn and for all of John’s family, and I'm sure the whole sport will join me in sending our deepest condolences.

“He was a great rugby league man, the most passionate and eloquent of evangelists for the sport, who relished the opportunity to do that on radio and television for the BBC.

“But I’ll remember him as simply the best of blokes, humble, friendly, cheerful, always smiling, always happy to talk to anyone, especially about rugby league.”