Craig Lingard

Craig Lingard

Personal information
Born	(1977-12-11) 11 December 1977 (age 46) Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Position	Fullback
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1998–08 Batley Bulldogs 205 142 0 0 568
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 2012 Bramley Buffaloes 2017–19 Keighley Cougars 63 31 3 28 49 2020–23 Batley Bulldogs 96 55 2 39 57 2024 Castleford Tigers 29 8 1 20 28 2025– Sheffield Eagles Total 188 94 6 87 50
Source: [1] [2] As of 3 December 2024

Craig Lingard (born 11 December 1977) ^[3] is an English rugby league coach and former professional rugby league footballer. He is the head-coach of Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship.

Lingard played as a fullback for the Batley Bulldogs in the Championship, where he is the all-time leading try scorer. He has previously been head coach of the Bramley Buffaloes. He was assistant coach to John Kear at Batley before taking on the top job at the Keighley Cougars in RFL League 1. He returned to Batley as head coach for the 2020 season.

Background

Lingard was born in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

Lingard played as an amateur with Sharlston Rovers before turning professional. His professional playing career was at Batley Bulldogs, where he played from 1998 to 2008. ^[4] Playing at fullback, Lingard scored 142 tries and is Batley's all-time leading try scorer. ^{[4] [5]} In a tribute to this record, the club named one of the terraces at the Fox's Biscuits Stadium the Craig Lingard Terrace. ^[4]

Coaching career

Early career

After retiring from playing, Lingard joined the Bulldogs' coaching team and also worked as part of the Bradford Bulls coaching staff before being appointed head coach of National Conference League team, Bramley Buffaloes, in 2012. ^[6] After just one season at Bramley, Lingard left and rejoined Batley as assistant head coach to John Kear. ^[4] He continued in his Batley role until the end of the 2016 season.

Keighley Cougars

In September 2016, Lingard was appointed head coach at Keighley Cougars on a two-year contract. ^[7] Lingard's contract was extended for a third year but in May 2019 he was sacked by Keighley. ^[8]

Batley Bulldogs

Lingard's return to the Batley Bulldogs was announced in September 2019, this time being appointed the role of head coach. ^[9]

In the 2022 Championship season, Lingard guided Batley to the Million Pound Game. Batley went on to be defeated by Leigh 44–12. ^[10]

In his final season in charge, Lingard led Batley to the 2023 RFL 1895 Cup final, the club's first match to be played at Wembley Stadium. ^{[11] [12]} The Bulldogs fell to a narrow 10–12 defeat against the Halifax Panthers. ^[13]

Castleford Tigers

In May 2023, it was announced that Lingard had joined Castleford Tigers in the Super League, working as an assistant coach under Andy Last. ^[14] He was appointed on a two-and-a-half-year contract, although would continue as Batley's head coach for the remainder of the 2023 season. ^[15] In August, following Last's dismissal and with Castleford level on points at the bottom of the table, he was joined by a new short-term coaching staff of Danny Ward and Dane Dorahy and was tasked with securing Super League survival. ^{[16] [17]} The Tigers won two games to confirm their top flight status in the final six rounds, although Ward and Dorahy's departures meant that the head coach role was left vacant upon the season's completion. ^{[18] [19]}

On 17 October 2023, Castleford announced the appointment of Lingard as the new head coach on a two-year deal. ^[20] He said, "I am massively honoured. Something I've always aspired to be is a head coach in Super League and I've got that opportunity now." ^[21] He would be working alongside new assistant coach Danny McGuire, who was joining from Hull Kingston Rovers. ^[22] On 21 October 2024, it was announced that Lingard had been sacked by Castleford, after just one season in charge. ^[23]

Sheffield Eagles

On 2 December 2024 it was reported that he had been appointed as head-coach of Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship ^[24]

Outside rugby league

Lingard's involvement with rugby league has always been part-time and away from the game he was previously a prison officer. While head coach at Bramley, Lingard was a competitor on British gameshow Countdown . ^[25]

References

1. loverugbyleague
2. Rugby League Project
3. "Player Summary: Craig Lingard". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
4. "Star Lingard returns home". Batley & Birstall News. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
5. "Club records". Batley Bulldogs. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
6. "Bramley role for Lingard". Love Rugby League. 14 March 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
7. "Lingard lands Keighley Cougars head coaching position". Telegraph & Argus . 17 September 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
8. "Craig Lingard shocked by Keighley Cougars sacking after good start to Betfred League 1 season". Keighley News. 22 May 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2019.
9. Darbyshire, Drew (12 September 2019). "Craig Lingard appointed new Batley coach". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
10. "Leigh 44-12 Batley: Centurions seal Super League return with deserved win in Championship Grand Final". www.skysports.com.
11. Staniforth, Mark (23 July 2023). "Departing Batley boss Craig Lingard says Wembley trip 'our own Hollywood script'". The Independent. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
12. Smith, Peter (10 August 2023). "Batley Bulldogs coach Craig Lingard talks Wembley, 1895 Cup final dream and close calls v Halifax Panthers". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
13. "1895 Cup final: Batley Bulldogs 10-12 Halifax Panthers". BBC Sport. 13 August 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
14. "Lingard joins the Tigers as assistant coach". Castleford Tigers. 9 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
15. "Lingard relishing step up to Super League". BBC Radio Leeds. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
16. O'Brien, James (9 August 2023). "Castleford Tigers appoint Danny Ward and bring in new assistant for Super League survival mission". The Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
17. Shaw, Matthew (9 August 2023). "Danny Ward's rallying call to Castleford Tigers fans with survival the goal". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
18. Shaw, Matthew (30 September 2023). "Danny Ward makes Castleford Tigers decision after being offered permanent role". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
19. "Thank you to the departing staff members". Castleford Tigers. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
20. "Craig Lingard: Castleford Tigers appoint former Keighley and Batley boss as head coach". BBC Sport. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
21. "Castleford Tigers: Craig Lingard named head coach for 2024 Super League season with Danny McGuire as assistant". Sky Sports. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
22. "Craig Lingard appointed as head coach". Castleford Tigers. 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
23. "Castleford sack head coach Lingard". BBC sport. 21 October 2024.
24. Ben Olawumi (2 December 2024). "Craig Lingard lands first role following Castleford Tigers exit with Championship move confirmed". Love Rugby League.
25. "Ex-Batley star on TV's Countdown". Love Rugby League. 9 May 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2016.