Leeds Rhinos have announced their first pre-season friendly ahead of the 2026 campaign, and it comes in the form of Super League opposition.
The Rhinos, who finished fourth at the end of the most recent regular season and bowed out in the first round of the play-offs, will be hoping to improve on their first full season under Brad Arthur.
Pre-season will commence for Super League clubs in November, but the real test of where clubs are at comes in the pre-season games. Despite not officially confirming it yet, the Rhinos will play their first warm-up game of the new season on Boxing Day, where they will face Wakefield Trinity in the annual event.
But, their first confirmed fixture will take place on Saturday 24 January, as they welcome old rivals Bradford Bulls to AMT Headingley ahead of their first season back in Super League.
The pair have faced off in pre-season for multiple years as of late, with the 2020 fixture that celebrated legends Rob Burrow and Jamie Jones-Buchanan one that sticks in the memory of all rugby league fans. Their last competitive meeting, however, came in the Challenge Cup – as a Championship Bradford side beat Leeds in 2019, in front of a 10,000-strong crowd at Odsal Stadium.
Their rivalry is set for its next chapter with the Bulls now back in the top flight, and this game will be an introduction as to what’s to come as two historic rivals and go head-to-head once again.
Leeds Rhinos star granted testimonial as maiden celebrations revealed
The friendly forms part of a big year for Leeds captain Cameron Smith, who has been granted a 12-month testimonial by the RFL.
Smith has been a member of the Rhinos first-team squad since 2016, having come through the club’s academy. A member of the 2022 Grand Final squad, the 26-year-old was named captain of the club in 2024, before sharing the role with Ash Handley this season.
Commenting on his testimonial, the loose forward chose to thank everyone who has helped him along the way in getting to this point.
Speaking to the club website, he said: “It is really special to be granted a testimonial especially when I think about the people I follow who have given ten years service to the club like Kevin Sinfield, Rob Burrow, Danny McGuire, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Ryan Hall, Kallum Watkins and of course my good friend Ash Handley last year. I would like to thank the RFL for granting the testimonial and the Leeds board for supporting me with my application.
“I started playing the game I love in the streets with my mates and then moved on to playing at school and my community clubs. I have been a Rhino my entire professional career and the chance to celebrate that and all the people I have met along the way this year is something I am very much looking forward to.
“I would like to thank Bradford for agreeing to playing in the game. I was delighted for them to be back in Super League. Having spent time there when I was a teenager, I know how passionate everyone involved at the Bulls is for the game and I am sure this will be a good test for us. It was disappointing for me to miss the end of last season through injury but the surgery has been a great success and I am looking forward to a big pre-season and leading the lads out against the Bulls as we prepare for a massive season in 2026.”
Leeds Rhinos co-captain Cameron Smith has been granted a testimonial season for 2026 after a decades service to the Rhinos. Leeds will take on @OfficialBullsRL on Saturday 24th January at AMT Headingley, kick off 1pm, in his testimonial game
More here https://t.co/Sn7w4CNjiY pic.twitter.com/wlOS646zln
— Leeds Rhinos (@leedsrhinos) October 24, 2025
