{"id":188356,"date":"2025-10-09T15:38:06","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T15:38:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/188356\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T15:38:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T15:38:06","slug":"mr-hull-kr-real-life-hero-of-post-office-it-scandal-bankrolls-club-to-verge-of-treble-glory-hull-kr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/188356\/","title":{"rendered":"Mr Hull KR: real-life hero of Post Office IT scandal bankrolls club to verge of treble glory | Hull KR"},"content":{"rendered":"

Neil Hudgell has witnessed highs this summer he and a generation of Hull KR<\/a> supporters perhaps thought they would never get to experience, but even in these most euphoric of times the low moments are never far from the forefront of his mind.<\/p>\n

There have been plenty of those during his 20 years as owner of his boyhood club. Flirtations with administration, relegation from Super League in the most dramatic of circumstances in 2016 courtesy of an extra-time defeat to Salford<\/a> and a 50-0 loss to Leeds<\/a> in the 2015 Challenge Cup final that Hudgell ranks as his lowest ebb.<\/p>\n

Hudgell considered selling the club several years ago, but reversed that decision and how it has paid off. The east Hull lad who grew up on the terraces of the old Craven Park watching the swashbuckling and pioneering Hull KR teams of the late 1970s and early 1980s is now overseeing the birth of a new great team \u2013 perhaps their greatest.<\/p>\n

It has been some rise. Having not won a trophy for 40 years before the Challenge Cup this season<\/a>, Rovers have now added a second in quick measure with the League Leaders\u2019 Shield<\/a>. On Saturday, they return to the Grand Final looking to complete the treble; not bad for a team that finished bottom of Super League as recently as 2020.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf results and trophies define that theory then the answer to that has to be yes, this would be the greatest,\u201d Hudgell says. \u201cYou see things through different eyes depending on your view; there was a greatness about those sides I watched in the 1980s but a lot of people would give the crown to this side, and I\u2019m not sure I could disagree.<\/p>\n

Hudgell, one of Britain\u2019s leading solicitors, has gained fame and deserved respect nationally for helping overturn dozens of convictions for sub-postmasters in the Post Office Horizon scandal that made it all the way to national television in Mr Bates v the Post Office. But at his heart is the club with whom he has invested millions and seen little return: until now, that is.<\/p>\n

Having languished for decades before and during Hudgell\u2019s time as owner, Rovers are now one of the major forces in Super League under the leadership of Willie Peters. Last year\u2019s maiden appearance in the Grand Final came when the Robins were still waiting to end their wait for a major trophy and the pressure was almost palpable from the stands as they limped to a 9-2 defeat by Wigan Warriors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Hull KR will be out for revenge after watching the Wigan players gather in a celebratory huddle at the end of last season\u2019s Grand Final. Photograph: Richard Sellers\/PA<\/p>\n

They face the same opposition at Old Trafford, but the talk around Rovers in the buildup is how they perhaps return a different and more resilient side. \u201cThe dynamics of the club have changed completely,\u201d Hudgell says. \u201cThere isn\u2019t a great sense of occasion; it\u2019s business as usual. Last year there were too many people taking pictures of the stadium, stuff like that.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an important game and it\u2019s a game that can define greatness for this club. In the history of Hull rugby league \u2013 both clubs \u2013 nobody has achieved what we could achieve. But I think the pressure has been and gone already. The pressure was there when we hadn\u2019t won a trophy for 40 years. The pressure was when we wanted to finish top of Super League<\/a> for the first time.\u201d<\/p>\n

But for Hudgell it is what Rovers\u2019 success is bringing to the east Hull community that gives him most pride. \u201cI\u2019ve not always liked going to Craven Park; it\u2019s only in the last two or three years I\u2019ve come to enjoy being here and what it brings for a new, younger audience,\u201d he says. \u201cI have a real pride in the fact we\u2019re connecting with the local people here again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quick GuideWellens leaves St HelensShow<\/p>\n

St Helens have parted company with their head coach, Paul Wellens, after three years in charge after a disappointing fifth-placed finish in the regular season. Saints\u2019 win over Leeds to reach the playoff semi-final was not enough to save Wellens, who played almost 500 games for his hometown team before replacing Kristian Woolf in 2023. \u201cWhile I\u2019m disappointed that my time at the club is coming to an end, I respect the decision,\u201d said Wellens. PA Media<\/p>\n

Thank you for your feedback.<\/p>\n

Attendances were about 2,500 when Hudgell assumed control of the club and even as recently as five years ago were hovering in the 6,000 region. Those numbers are double as Hull KR sell Craven Park out every week, with a waiting list for season tickets in 2026. Success is one reason why that surge has happened, but not the sole one in the eyes of their owner.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese players, the coach \u2026 they represent the club how the people want it to be represented and I include myself in that,\u201d he says. \u201cOur captain, Elliot Minchella, talks about community and what it means to be from east Hull. Life isn\u2019t always easy here. Hull KR is often a release from the troubles people have and we understand that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having witnessed the lowest of lows, does Hudgell dare to dream about a possible World Club Challenge with the new NRL champions, Brisbane<\/a>, next year? \u201cOne game at a time,\u201d he says. \u201cBut it\u2019s nice for Hull KR to be talked about in the right way for once.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Neil Hudgell has witnessed highs this summer he and a generation of Hull KR supporters perhaps thought they…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":188357,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[5903,101,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-188356","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-rugby","8":"tag-rugby","9":"tag-sports","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=188356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/188356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/188357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=188356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=188356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=188356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}