Barrow-born rugby league player Jacques O’Neill, who featured on ITV’s Love Island is back in the game.
The 25-year-old started his amateur career with Askam before joining the Castleford Tigers Academy aged 16.
He played 29 first team games in Super League for the Tigers and had short spells on loan at Leigh and Halifax but left Castleford in 2022, when he was a contestant on the eighth series of Love Island.
Ahead of his entrance, it was revealed he was the ex-boyfriend of fellow contestant Gemma Owen. Gemma’s father is ex-England footballer Michael Owen.
He decided to leave the villa on day 37 for mental health purposes and to “get back to himself”. Castleford offered him welfare support and spoke of the club’s focus to support and welcome him back to Wheldon Road.
However an Achilles injury prevented him getting back on the field but he is now ready to return to action and has signed for the ambitious Championship club York City Knights.
He has told the York website: “I’m made up to sign for York. They are a good club with great aspirations and high standards, so I’m looking forward to getting started.
“Speaking with chairman Clint Goodchild and coach Mark Applegarth, they seem like great people I can work with coming back to rugby league. I know a couple of the boys already, like Paul McShane. He used to look after me when I was 16, so hopefully it’ll change round and I’ll look after him now.”
Applegarth reckons O’Neill will be a hit in the Championship. He said: “I remember Jacques when I was head of youth at Wakefield and he was playing at Castleford. He was always a player I knew had potential.
“Obviously he has been away from the game and focussed on some other stuff, but when we first sat down it was very clear he wanted to make his mark in rugby league again and he wanted a bit of direction through that. It’s something myself and Clint Goodchild feel we could offer him.
“He’s coming in for the right reasons, to play rugby league. I’m really looking forward to getting Jacques out there and getting him fit and rugby ready again because when he’s match fit he’s a cracking player. I think he’ll really go well this year.”
