HAYDEN HANSEN IS A LION

02 November 2017

The club is exceptionally excited to announce the signing of Hayden Hansen, an Australian no.9 or no.13, and captain of the Redcliffe Dolphins club in Queensland.

The Dolphins compete in the Queensland Intrust Super Cup – a very high standard which is part of the second tier of Rugby League in Australia.

Hayden is 23-years-old, stands 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 13 stone 12 lbs, and has developed through the various age groups at Redcliffe since joining the club aged 10.

Powerfully built with good hands, Hayden has a tremendous turn of pace with an ability to exploit any gaps in an opposition defence. Defensively he is solid and uncompromising, making him an outstanding all-round player.

We feel that Hayden will add something very special to our squad, and could be quite a surprise package to unleash on the Championship in 2018.

Speaking on behalf of the Lions’ Board, Chairman Andy Mazey said, “Once Hayden came to the club’s attention he was one player that Stuart really wanted to land. So after much hard work I was really excited when his contract came back from Australia with a signature on it! Hayden is really looking forward to being part of our exciting new era at Swinton Lions. He can’t wait to get over here, meet the boys and get cracking!”

Our Head Coach Stuart Littler was thrilled with the capture. He said, “I am absolutely made up to be able to confirm the signing of Hayden at Swinton Lions. Once Hayden became available we knew that we would like him to join our squad. He is very dynamic and will add a different dimension to our play. I am really looking forward to working with Hayden. Hayden has represented Redcliffe Dolphins in the highly acclaimed Queensland Cup competition. As a junior Hayden was the club captain as well as representing the Australian Institute of Sport on their UK Tour.

“This really is a massive signing for our club and Hayden has already bought in to our vision for the future. Hayden is a good professional who looks after himself in the right way and he will raise standards within our organisation. A massive welcome to Hayden!”

Hayden himself added in a video directed to the Lions faithful, “I’ve played 13 seasons at the Dolphins, and now it’s time for me to join the Swinton Lions family. I can’t tell you how excited I am to join the team! So grab your season tickets, continue to show your support, and we’ll be sure to put on a show! I’ll be seeing you soon.”

Hayden is due to land at Manchester towards the end of the year, and we are sure he will very quickly become a massive crowd favourite at the Lions!