# Rugby league transfer record

The Rugby league transfer record is the highest-ever sum of money paid by a club to purchase the contract, and thereby obtain the playing services of another club's player. It has been broken in every decade since the sport became professional around the start of the 20th century. Between the 1930s and 1980s, international transfer bans were imposed, removed and renewed at different times due to the sport's governing bodies' fears of excessive talent drain overseas. In 1998, the sport's transfer system was changed to allow any player aged 24 or over to move between clubs at the end of their contract without a fee being paid. As a result, transfer fees in rugby league became much more uncommon. The current record fee paid is £700,000 (equivalent to £1,013,364 in 2023), paid by the New Zealand Warriors to the Wigan Warriors in 2013 for Sam Tomkins.

## Record progression

| Year | Player | From | To | Fee (£) |
| 19011901 | James Lomas | Bramley | Salford | 100 |
| 19011911 | James Lomas | Salford | Oldham | 300 |
| 19131913 | Billy Batten | Hunslet | Hull F.C. | 600 |
| 1921 1921 | Harold Buck | Hunslet | Leeds | 1,000 |
| 1930 1930 | Stan Smith | Wakefield Trinity | Leeds | 1,075 |
| 1934 1934 | Stan Brogden | Huddersfield | Leeds | 1,200 |
| 19371937 | Vic Hey | Ipswitch | Leeds | 1,400 |
| 1937 1937 | Billy Belshaw | Liverpool | Warrington | 1,450 |
| 19471947 | Bill Davies | Huddersfield | Dewsbury | 1,650 |
| 19471947 | Bill Hudson | Batley | Wigan | 2,000 |
| 1948 1948 | Jimmy Ledgard | Dewsbury | Leigh | 2,650 |
| 1948 1948 | Ike Owens | Leeds | Castleford | 2,750 |
| 1949 1949 | Stan McCormick | Belle Vue Rangers | St. Helens | 4,000 |
| 1949 1949 | Albert Naughton | Widnes | Warrington | 4,600 |
| 1950 1950 | Bruce Ryan | Hull F.C. | Leeds | 4,750 |
| 1950 1950 | Joe Egan | Wigan | Leigh | 5,000 |
| 19521952 | Lewis Jones | Llanelli | Leeds | 6,000 |
| 1957 1957 | Mick Sullivan | Huddersfield | Wigan | 9,500 |
| 1959 1959 | Ike Southward | Workington Town | Oldham | 10,650 |
| 1961 1961 | Mick Sullivan | Wigan | St. Helens | 11,000 |
| 1961 1961 | Ike Southward | Oldham | Workington Town | 11,002 10s |
| 1961 1961 | Brian Shaw | Hunslet | Leeds | 13,250 |
| 1968 1968 | Colin Dixon | Halifax | Salford | 15,000 |
| 1969 1969 | Paul Charlton | Workington Town | Salford | 12,500 |
| 19711971 | Mal Reilly | Castleford | Manly-Warringah | 15,000 |
| 1973 1973 | Bill Ashurst | Wigan | Penrith | 15,000 |
| 19731973 | Mike Stephenson | Dewsbury | Penrith | 20,000 |
| 1978 1978 | Steve Norton | Castleford | Hull F.C. | 25,000 |
| 1978 1978 | Phil Hogan | Barrow | Hull Kingston Rovers | 33,000 |
| 1980 1980 | Len Casey | Bradford | Hull Kingston Rovers | 38,000 |
| 1980 1980 | Trevor Skerrett | Wakefield Trinity | Hull F.C. | 40,000 |
| 1981 1981 | George Fairbairn | Wigan | Hull Kingston Rovers | 72,500 |
| 1985 1985 | Ellery Hanley | Bradford | Wigan | 150,000 |
| 1986 1986 | Joe Lydon | Widnes | Wigan | 100,000 |
| 1987 1987 | Andy Gregory | Warrington | Wigan | 130,000 |
| 1987 1987 | Lee Crooks | Hull F.C. | Leeds | 150,000 |
| 1987 1987 | Garry Schofield | Hull F.C. | Leeds | 155,000 |
| 19891989 | Graham Steadman | Featherstone Rovers | Castleford | 170,000 |
| 1991 1991 | Ellery Hanley | Wigan | Leeds | 250,000 |
| 1992 1992 | Martin Offiah | Widnes | Wigan | 440,000 |
| 1995 1995 | Paul Newlove | Bradford | St. Helens | 500,000 |
| 2006 2006 | Stuart Fielden | Bradford | Wigan | 450,000 |
| 2013 2013 | Sam Tomkins | Wigan | New Zealand | 700,000 |