Skip to content

KR fans react: 'Quadruple is a dream come true'

Charis Scott-Holm,East Yorkshire and Lincolnshireand
Grace McGrory,Hull
News imageBBC A man and woman smile for the camera, but both look emotional. The man has his arm around the woman, who has blonde bobbed hair and cream coloured glasses. The man wears a baseball hat, has a greying beard, and wears Hull KR kit.BBC
Lee and Sue Popplewell said the win was "the best we've felt all year" after losing their dad and husband

Hull KR fans have reacted with both joy and relief after a tense second half saw the Robins win the World Club Challenge.

The east Hull team, who have also won the Super League Grand Final, the Challenge Cup and the League Leaders' Shield in the past 12 months, beat the Brisbane Broncos 30-24.

Speaking outside the MKM Stadium, which was sold out for Thursday night's match, mum and son Sue and Lee Popplewell expressed their relief.

Lee, 50, said: "At one point I thought we were walking it… then it was squeaky bum time!"

Lee's father Steve, who was also a season ticket holder, died in January.

Lee added: "They've given us so much joy in the last year, and tonight was just a tonic."

Siblings Joanne Gill, 62, and Ian Watson, 66, said they had been Hull KR fans "since we were really small".

Joanne said: "My mum and dad would have loved to see it.

"I've got my mum's scarf on – the hat was hers, the scarf was hers, so the memories for the people that are not here any more, that was fantastic.

"KR, you are the best team in the world! Well done boys we are so proud of you."

News imageA man and woman stand together smiling. The woman wears a Hull KR supporters hat and scarf, the man has short grey hair and wears dark coloured outdoor clothing.
Joanne said: "We've got the win, and that's all that matters"

Dad Chris, 37, took his seven-year-old son Xander, and daughter Esmee,14, to watch the game.

Chris, who has been watching KR since he was 10 years old, described the tense second half that almost saw the Broncos catch up.

He said: "The last 20 minutes, we were really nervous. In fact the last five minutes – Mikey didn't make the touch but we got there didn't we? Held out didn't we?"

News imageA tall man with a dark beard stands with two children either side him - a boy with short brown hair and a teenage girl with long blonde hair and a fur coat. The man and boy wear Hull KR kit.
Chris and children Xander and Esmee said they "couldn't believe" their team had won

Mark Wilkinson, 49, described the win as "an absolute dream come true".

Discussing the team's long wait for silverware, he said: "I never expected it, because when you get expectations with the Rovers, you're always disappointed.

"You just learn to appreciate everything we've got, every single game we win."

News imageA man with a moustache wears a hat, hoodie and red tartan scarf, with a sheepskin coat on top, smiles at the camera.
Mark Wilkinson said he "never in my life" expected Hull KR to win the quadruple

Siblings Rosie, nine, Ronnie, 11, and Archie, seven, all said they were "buzzing" after the Rovers' triumph.

Even though the trio agreed they thought KR "would do it", Rosie added: "But I did get a bit nervous when they were catching up!"

News imageThree children, a girl and two boys, smile at the camera. They are wearing Hull KR merchandise and are holding a cardboard cut out of a player.
Siblings Rosie and Ronnie, and cousin Archie, stayed up past their bedtimes to see the historic win

Listen to highlights fromHull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look Northor tell us about a story you think we should be coveringhere.

Download the BBC News app from the App Storefor iPhone and iPad orGoogle Play for Android devices

More on this story
Related internet links