Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Alan Kilshaw | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 November 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Second-row, Halfback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 4 October 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alan Kilshaw (born 23 November 1982) is an English rugby league coach, currently at Keighley Cougars in the RFL Championship. [1]
Kilshaw came through the St Helens Academy. Playing his senior career at Swinton Lions and Blackpool Panthers. [2]
Alan Kilshaw coached at Warrington Wizards in the National Conference League until 2009 where he left due to family and work commitments. [3]
Kilshaw worked as the Cheshire development officer as well as working with the Warrington Wolves’ Player Development Centre. [4] [5]
Alan Kilshaw was an assistant coach to the England under-16 between 2011 and 2013. [6]
In 2013, Alan moved to Australia to head coach Sarina Crocodiles, a feeder club to the Mackay Cutters where he was also appointed assistant coach.
Returning to the UK in October 2015 to join up with Kingstone Press League 1 side Rochdale Hornets.
In his first season with the club he coached them to lose only 1 and drawing 1 game, finishing 2nd in the table. Before going on to beat Toulouse Olympique away in France to earn promotion into the RFL Championship 1.
In 2018, Rochdale finished bottom of the regular season ladder, narrowly missing out on relegation finishing 2nd to last in the Championship Shield with rivals Swinton Lions getting relegated to RFL League One. Alan Kilshaw left at the end of the season.
After a break away from the sport Alan joined Hunslet in the middle of the 2021 season, replacing Gary Thornton. [7] He tenure ended at the end of the 2023 season moving to RFL Championship side Swinton Lions. In his first season they lost in the Elimination Playoffs against Doncaster, and in his final season at Hunslet lost in the Preliminary Final once again against Doncaster. [8]
He left the club due to travel reasons starting a teaching job as well as having a young family. [9]
Alan joined his former club Swinton Lions ahead of the 2024 season. [10]
After a game against Widness Vikings, pictures were posted online by Widness forward Nick Gregson of sheets that had been dotted around the Swinton dressing room which showed an image of him with a noose around his neck and messages to ‘target’ his injured shoulder.
The RFL launched an investigation into the events of that day, which went on until December 2024, where Kilshaw was handed a three month ban from coaching which was suspended until December 1, 2025. Kilshaw resigned from his role as head coach of Swinton Lions after the then Championship outfit lost to his former side Hunslet in the play-off decider that saw the Lions relegated to League One. [11]
Alan moved back to Australia to join up with Toowoomba Rugby League side Oakey Bears, however after only 12 weeks and no competitive games he left to move back to England. [12]
After a disastrous start to the 2025 Betfred League One season, with head coach Jake Webster stepping down, owner Ryan O'Neil and Kaue Garcia signed Alan Kilshaw until the end of 2026. [13] [14]
Although finishing 9th in the table in 2025, Kilshaw managed to steady the ship at the West Yorkshire town in his first year, earning himself a contract extension until the end of 2027. [15]