Born in Preston, Lancashire Josh Rourke was a talented sportsman from an early age. His first introduction to rugby league was when his dad would take him to watch Wigan Warriors aged 4 however his interests and talent saw him signed for local football side Preston North End.
Tall and quick with an eye for goal he was a talented forward but when he was released by his hometown club, which by his own admission, “broke his heart” he decided to turn his attention more to rugby league.
Joining Chorley Rugby League at the age of 10 Rourke spent a large part of his teenage years at his local club where he would often play football on a Sunday morning before a rugby game in the afternoon.
At 14 he signed a scholarship at Widnes Vikings initially playing as either a hooker or half-back. Rourke would spend 2 years at the club before more heartbreak when he was released. At that point Rourke rejoined Chorley so he could continue to play but more for fun “with friends”. It was at this point he began to play full-back and was beginning to watch more Super League rugby where he looked up to the likes of Sam Tomkins.
Despite still playing amaetur rugby in 2019 for Chorley there was still plenty of interest in Rourke’s talents. In the end it was Salford who won the race to sign the now 19 year old Rourke. After impressing on trial Rourke would play 4 times for the reserve side before the COVID pandemic struck and caused huge disruption to the development of many players. With the reserve team disbanded Rourke kept up his fitness by playing for Leigh Minors as that was the highest level of amateur rugby available to him at the time. Once it was deemed safe to return to professional rugby Rourke successfully re-trialled for Salford and completed his first full season of rugby for the club reserves side and his form saw him rewarded with a Super League debut against Warrington Wolves in 2022.
With Salford about to head into the play-offs Rourke says he got the feeling that he was going to find it difficult to cement a place in the side; “It was only four or five days before making my debut that I found out I was going to be playing. It was the last game of the regular season before they went into the play-offs and at that point I kind of thought this was my chance but in the back of my mind I knew they were probably just resting a few key players. But it (playing in the Super League) was what I had always wanted to do from when I was young and it was great.”
Now aged 23 and faced with a decision to stay on at Salford or go in search of more regular first team action Rourke decided to join Championship side Whitehaven. In what was Rourke’s first full season as a first team player he would go on to impress and was the standout player in the side and completed the clean sweep at the end of season awards - winning 5 player of the year awards!
“I surprised myself to be honest (on his success at Whitehaven). I went there and told myself I am stepping up a level now, I really enjoyed it at Whitehaven - there are some really good people up there. Jonty put a lot of faith in me and allowed me to progress and I felt by the end of last year I was ready to kick on again.”
Off the back of that hugely successful season Rourke was on the move again, this time to Batley Bulldogs who had just missed out on the play-offs in the 2023 season. Rourke wasn’t to play a single game for the club though and opted to join London Broncos who activated a clause in Rourke’s contract which could see him leave for a Super League club.
“There were rumours throughout the year of Super League clubs being interested in me but I think my inexperience perhaps put people off but I was hoping a club would come in for me.”
It was a decision that Rourke says he felt guilty with but ultimately one he needed to make; “They (Batley) had put in a lot of work to bring me to the club and I understood that and I did feel bad but after having a conversation with my family I felt I just had to put myself first because opportunities to play Super League don’t come around very often.
“I feel like being in a full-time environment I will come on even more, I know there is still a lot more improvement in my game. I feel like I have another 20 or 30% to develop.”
Josh will wear the number 23 this season as he now looks to add to his solitary Super League appearance.
Josh is available for sponsorship this season. If you would like to sponsor Josh, please email mark.kemp@londonbroncosrl.com or click here!
