Former Super League stalwart announces retirement following title success

Former Super League stalwart Jamie Ellis has confirmed his decision to hang up his boots having helped Oldham to the League 1 title last season.

Now 35, Ellis donned a shirt for nine different clubs in his career – including six in Super League – and made close to 250 career appearances, with 1,343 points scored in total.

Playing for Chorley Panthers at junior level, the playmaker joined hometown club St Helens and came through their youth ranks to make a senior debut against Salford in July 2009.

Scoring his first senior try later that year against Hull KR, one of the clubs he would go on to represent, Ellis also featured in the top-flight for Hull FC, Leigh, Castleford and Huddersfield Giants – playing in the 2014 Challenge Cup final for the Tigers.

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Former Super League stalwart announces retirement following title success

After stints at both York and Swinton Lions, the veteran linked up with Oldham midway through the 2023 campaign and last year, played 14 games across all competitions as the Roughyeds won the League 1 title.

Announcing his retirement on Instagram, the former England Academy international wrote: “Today I am calling time on my rugby career.

“For the past 15 years, I am proud to say I have lived out my childhood dream.

“Ever since I started playing rugby at 7 years old, all I wanted to do is be a rugby player. I wouldn’t have been able to do this if it wasn’t for my mum and dad taking me up and down the country.

“All the late nights and early mornings, nothing would have been possible without those two and they have always been my number one supporters!

“All I wanted to do was to make them and my family proud, especially my grandad Tommy who would travel all over with my dad!

“Since my kids came along, everything I did was for them and nothing made me prouder than seeing their faces in the stand. I am so grateful that I got to walk out with them!

“Gutted my wife only caught a snippet of my career, but again grateful she got to see me play.”

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‘Just want to say a massive thank you to everybody I met in rugby league’

Ellis‘ final game saw him kick eight goals as Sean Long’s side routed Cornwall 72-0 at Boundary Park in August, with his final try coming a few months earlier in March against Rochdale Hornets.

His retirement post continues: “I will be forever proud to have played in a Challenge Cup final at Wembley, travelling to Australia with St Helens and England Academy, getting promoted with Hull KR, winning the Northern Rail Cup final with Leigh and just having some of the best times of my life and memories playing rugby.

“Just want to say a massive thank you to everybody I met in rugby league – all the teams (can’t mention them all, there’s too many), players, staff and fans… I really have made some friends for life and got some of the best memories that I will remember forever!

“Looking forward to the next chapter of my life and spending everyday with my beautiful wife and kids and hopefully I can guide my babies towards their own dreams in the future! Signing out.”

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