Alex Foster

Alex Foster (born 25 September 1993) is an English professional rugby league footballer who last played as a or for Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship.

He has previously played for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League, and on loan from Leeds at the Hunslet Hawks, London Broncos and Featherstone Rovers. He played one season for the London Broncos in the Championship before returning to the Super League with the Castleford Tigers, where he spent the longest spell of his career. He appeared on dual registration from Castleford at Oxford and Halifax. He played for Newcastle Thunder in the Championship and was appointed club captain, before re-joining the Castleford Tigers on loan.

Background Foster was born in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England.

Foster played junior rugby league for Wetherby Bulldogs before joining the Leeds Rhinos academy system.

Playing career Leeds Rhinos On 30 June 2013, Foster made his Super League début for the Leeds Rhinos against the Widnes Vikings. He scored his first Super League try against the London Broncos on 1 August, and made a total 8 appearances throughout the season. In November 2013, he signed a three-year deal with Leeds.

Hunslet Hawks (dual registration) In July 2013, Foster played one game for the Hunslet Hawks in the Championship on dual registration from Leeds.

London Broncos (loan) In January 2014, Foster signed a season-long loan deal with the London Broncos alongside fellow Rhinos youngsters Thomas Minns and James Duckworth. During the season, he played as a or alongside Matt Cook and Mike McMeeken. On 25 May, Foster scored two tries against Hull Kingston Rovers in a 48–16 defeat at Craven Park. He made 21 appearances in total, while London were relegated to the Championship.

Featherstone Rovers (loan) In November 2014, Featherstone Rovers announced the signing of Foster on a season-long loan for 2015, alongside three other young Leeds players.

London Broncos

After a spell with Featherstone Rovers, Foster signed for London on a two-year deal. Injury meant that he was restricted to 20 appearances for the Broncos.

Bradford Bulls In 2017, Foster agreed a deal with Bradford however the club went into liquidation and Foster was released. In April, it was confirmed Foster signed a deal until the end of the season with Cas and was given the number 34 shirt. In July, it was confirmed that Foster had signed a new deal. On signing the new deal, he said, "I'm over the moon to sign here for another two years. It's a great place to be."

Foster demonstrated his positional versatility in 2018, starting at loose forward, second row and centre at different points throughout the season. He was rewarded for his impressive form in June with a new three-and-a-half-year contract. However, in July, Foster was ruled out for the remainder of the season due to a foot injury.

In the 2019 season, Foster made six appearances and scored one try. His playtime was limited by a knee injury sustained in March, for which he underwent surgery later in the year.

Foster made his return to the team following the 2020 season's COVID-19 suspension, after spending 16 months on the sidelines. In the remainder of the season, he made 8 appearances and scored 1 try.

Foster sustained a bicep injury in a pre-season friendly against Hull KR in March 2021. He made his first appearance of the year in Castleford's Challenge Cup semi-final against Warrington on 5 June. In September, it was announced that he would leave the club at the end of the 2021 season upon the expiry of his contract. Speaking about his time at Castleford, Foster said, "It has been one hell of a journey and I am so thankful to everyone involved, from the coaching staff to the fans, my teammates as well who have made my time here what it has been for me." He made his first appearance and scored his first try for the club against Workington on 30 January.

Castleford Tigers (loan) In July 2023, Castleford Tigers announced the return of Foster, signing on a season-long loan from Newcastle, alongside Greece international Billy Tsikrikas.

Sheffield Eagles On 14 November 2023 it was reported that he had signed for Sheffield Eagles in the RFL Championship on a two-year deal.

Club statistics

+ Appearances and points in all competitions by year Club Season Tier Leeds Rhinos 2013 Super League 8 1 0 0 4 → Hunslet Hawks (DR) 2013 Championship 1 0 0 0 0 → Featherstone Rovers (loan) 2015 Championship 27 9 0 0 36 London Broncos 2014 Super League 21 3 0 0 12 2016 Championship 20 11 0 0 44 Total 41 14 0 0 56 Castleford Tigers 2017 Super League 19 2 0 0 8 2018 Super League 16 5 0 0 20 2019 Super League 6 1 0 0 4 2020 Super League 8 1 0 0 4 2021 Super League 13 1 0 0 4 2023 Super League 6 2 0 0 8 Total 68 12 0 0 48 → Oxford (DR) 2017 League 1 1 0 0 0 0 → Halifax (DR) 2018 Championship 1 0 0 0 0 Newcastle Thunder 2022 Championship 12 3 0 0 12 2023 Championship 15 3 0 0 12 Total 27 6 0 0 24 Sheffield Eagles 2024 Championship 17 0 0 0 0 Career total 191 42 0 0 168