Championship club swoop to sign Australian young gun from Down Under as rebuild continues

Championship club Featherstone Rovers have continued their signing spree with the addition of Australian playmaker Zach Herring, who joins from NRL outfit Newcastle Knights.

The 23-year-old half-back – also able to slot in at hooker – has spent the last 12 months with the Knights, featuring for their first-grade side in pre-season before making 20 appearances for their New South Wales Cup side.

Having come through the youth ranks with St George Illawarra Dragons, Herring had already featured 28 times in the NSW Cup before joining the Knights.

Accordingly, he amassed a total of 48 appearances in the second-grade competition Down Under, scoring 13 tries in the process, and now makes the move into the British game with Championship side Fev ahead of 2025.

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Championship club swoop to sign Australian young gun from Down Under as rebuild continues

Youngster Herring is the latest in a long line of signings made by Rovers in preparation for next season, with Carlos Tuimavave, Derrell Olpherts and Toby Boothroyd all among those to have put pen to paper this week alone.

Having inked his own deal at Post Office Road, Herring said: “As soon as the chance came up to make the move to the UK with Featherstone, I jumped at it. It’s a massive opportunity for me and I can’t wait to get going.

“It’s going to be a completely new experience for me. It’s exciting to get out of my comfort zone and I’m ready to show the club and the fans what I can do.

“I’m joining a really talented squad, full of quality players, I’m looking forward to earning a spot in the 17 and having an impact.”

Head coach Ford has now been in charge of Fev for circa 18 months, taking over following the departure of Sean Long back in August 2023 having held a Director of Rugby role at the Championship club for three months prior.

The 42-year-old added: “At 23, we’re confident he (Herring) has plenty of development left in him and I’m excited to see him compete against the other half-back options for a starting spot.

“He has a quality running game and is a strong left-footed kicker, something that will bring more balance to our last tackle options.”

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