Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Full name | AJ Towse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | York, England | 19 August 2003|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 15 st 2 lb (96 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As of 5 May 2024 |
AJ Towse (born 19 August 2003) is a professional Rugby League player who plays in the wing position, for the York City Knights in the RFL Championship. [1]
He formerly played for amateur Club Heworth ARLFC as both a Junior and in the Open Age, represented the North-East Universities 2021 and played in the Universities Origin game [2] for the North [3] in the same year.
He is studying for a degree in Computer Science at York St. John University. [4]
Towse was born in York and is a product of amateur club Heworth ARLFC, [5] having played Rugby League from the age of 11 and latterly the York City Knights Excel Program, having represented them at U16's. [6]
Having made his first Open-Age appearance in a pre-season friendly [7] for York Knights vs Featherstone Rovers at the age of 16, he signed a 3 year contract for the seasons 2021 to 2023. [8] He then went on to sign for a fourth year and the 2024 season [9]
Towse made his professional debut [10] in April 2021 in York's defeat by Wigan Warriors in the Challenge Cup 3rd Round.
Later that year he made a second appearance in the Knights' September win over London Broncos. [11]
During 2021 Towse made 2 loan appearances [12] in May 2021 for Coventry Bears, scoring 1 try, and one loan appearance in August for Rochdale Hornets.
Towse made one appearance on loan for Leeds Rhinos Reserves vs Wigan, before being recalled to play for the Knights. [13]
2022 saw Towse appear 18 times for the Knights and scoring 8 tries. [14]
He scored a brace in games against Newcastle Thunder, [15] Whitehaven RLFC [16] and London Broncos, [17] but it was his acrobatic try against Batley Bulldogs live on Premier Sports that will be remembered most.
During the Rugby League World Cup, Towse also spent several days training with the New Zealand National team. [18]
2023 saw Towse as the only ever-present player completing all 34 League and Cup games, scoring 20 tries in the process, including a hat-trick against London [19] and helping the side reach the play-offs for the second successive year.
Towse signed a further contract ahead of the 2024 season [20]
2021 – North East Universities
2021 – Universities Origin final. [21]
2022 – Rugby League Betfred Championship Young Player of the Year nomination. [22]
2022 – York City Knights Young Player of the Year.
2022 – York City Knights Try of the Year. [23]
2023 – York Sport Awards Student Sportsperson of the Year. [24] [25]
2023 – York Knights Supporters Society Player of the year. [26]
2023 – York Knights Young Player of the Year
2023 – York Knights Top Try Scorer. [27]
2023 – Rugby League Betfred Championship Young Player of the Year nomination. [28]
YEARS | TEAM | GAMES | TRIES |
---|---|---|---|
2021 | York City Knights | 2 | |
2021 | Coventry Bears (loan) | 2 | 1 |
2021 | Rochdale Hornets (loan) | 1 | |
2022 | York City Knights | 18 | 8 |
2023 | York Knights | 34 | 20 |
2024 | Newcastle | 2 | |
2024 | York Knights | 10 | 7 |
Total | Total Pro Career | 69 | 36 |
The York Knights are the men's professional rugby league team of York RLFC, based in York, England. The club play their home games at York Community Stadium and currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of British rugby league.
The London Broncos are a professional rugby league club based in Wimbledon, England. They play their home games at Plough Lane and compete in Super League, the top tier of British rugby league.
Ben Cockayne is an English former rugby league footballer who usually played as a fullback or on the wing. He is most remembered for his two spells with Hull Kingston Rovers, with whom he won two promotions to the Super League, in 2006 and 2017, respectively. He also played for Hunslet Hawks, Doncaster RLFC, Featherstone Rovers, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and York City Knights.
Peter Fox is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for York Acorn ARLFC, the York City Knights, the Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Hull Kingston Rovers, Halifax (loan), Doncaster and the Newcastle Thunder in Kingstone Press League 1, as a wing.
Scott Rhodes is a former Scotland international rugby league footballer who played as a stand-off or scrum-half in the 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level in the 2000 Rugby League World Cup, and at club level for Heworth A.R.L.F.C., Leeds Rhinos (academy), Hull FC (loan), Sheffield Eagles, Dewsbury Rams and the York City Knights (captain). He retired from rugby league in October 2008.
Chris Smith is a former Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level for Wales also represented GB in the Gatorade superleague 9's played in Townsville 1997, and at club level for Redhill ARLFC (Castleford), Castleford, St. Helens, Hull FC and York City Knights, as a wing.
Jordan Jamal Turner is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre, stand-off, loose forward or winger for the Oldham RLFC in the RFL League 1 and the Jamaica national team.
Kyle Amor is a TV broadcaster with Sky Sports and is a former Ireland international rugby league footballer who played most of his career with St Helens. Amor last played as a prop for the Widnes Vikings in the Betfred Championship for 10 games during the 2023 season before retiring mid-season in May 2023. Outside of Rugby League, Kyle is also an ambassador for Ortus Energy, a leading U.K. Solar company.
Greg Eden is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a winger or fullback for the Featherstone Rovers in the RFL Championship.
Steven "Steve" Quinn was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for Yorkshire, and at club level for Tang Hall junior school, Heworth A.R.L.F.C., York and Featherstone Rovers, as a goal-kicking centre.
William Oakes is a Scotland international rugby league footballer who plays on the wing for the Bradford Bulls in the Betfred Championship.
Jake Wardle is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a centre, or winger, for the Wigan Warriors in the Betfred Super League, and England and the England Knights at international level.
Heworth A.R.L.F.C. is an amateur rugby league football club based in Heworth, York. The first team plays in the NCL Division One.
Ben Dent is a German rugby league footballer who plays for the Heworth ARLFC in the National Conference League competition. He primarily plays as a winger and has previously played for the York City Knights. He plays for Germany internationally. On 4 May 2019 he married childhood sweetheart Harriet Dyson-Dent of Wood Lea.
The Woman of Steel is an award in English rugby league. It is awarded to the player of the year in the Women's Super League; the winner is determined by a poll of the players in the Women's Super League.
Callum Bustin is an English professional rugby league and rugby union footballer who plays for Rotherham Titans in the National League 2 North.
Tyler Dupree is a rugby league footballer who plays as a prop for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
The York Valkyrie are the women's rugby league team of York RLFC based in York, England. The Valkyrie, who were established in 2016 as the York City Knights Ladies, compete in the Women's Super League and play their home games at York Community Stadium which is also home to the York RLFC men's team, the York Knights, and football club, York City F.C.
In the 2022 rugby league season York City Knights competed in the 2022 RFL Championship and the 2022 Challenge Cup. At the start of the season the club was taken over by Clint Goodchild who became the new chairman. York had a strong first half of the season which included a run of seven wins in the league that helped them finish in sixth place to qualify for the play-offs despite winning only five of their final 11 games. They lost in the semi-finals to Leigh Centurions who earlier in the season inflicted a club record 100–4 defeat on York. In the Challenge Cup York reached the fifth round. It was the final season that the team played as York City Knights after which the club was renamed York RLFC and the team became the Knights.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)