York Knights kicked off the first season of the Betfred Premier League with their most magical victory, beating defending champions Hull KR 19-18 in their first game.

The new arrivals at York put their starters to a stern test at Hull KR but they passed it with flying colors and their celebrations showed the moment they announced themselves in the game.

York Knights defied all odds and opened the scoring through Sam Wood’s strike before Hull KR hit back through Jai Whitbread to lead 6-4.

However, a penalty just before half-time saw Liam Harris’ effort go over, leaving the score 6-6 after 40 minutes.

The Robins then looked to be in the lead with Whitbread’s second try before Sauaso Sue had a chance to take an 18-6 lead.

However, the game changed when Mikey Lewis was taken off as Harris was sent to the bin, allowing converted Scott Galeano to try to equalize for York.

Ata Hingano then scored his first career goal to give York a 19-18 lead and they held on for four minutes before defeating the defending champions on a great night for York City.

Hull KR’s next game is the World Club Challenge where they take on the Brisbane Broncos on Thursday 19 February for the chance to be crowned World Champions, live sky sportsa game where they need to improve a lot.

With this important game in mind, Hull KR faced a tense wait 10 minutes after Lewis came off.

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There were early concerns for the away side at a damp LNER Community Stadium with star hooker Jez Litten departing with an HIA. However, he got through it and from there they tried to get their season off to a roaring start.

York had their first chance against the opposition defence, but then it was all Hull KR as they scored one goal after another in the home side’s half.

Despite the pressure, they were held back by a tenacious Cavaliers defense and Tyrone May’s shot in the 13th minute was blocked.

Then, against all odds, York took the lead and opened the scoring for the 2026 Super League season.

Elliot Minchella’s high shot was awarded a penalty, and York attacked in the frontcourt. In the 19th minute, Paul McShane found Wood on the short side for his first try of the season. The 4-0 lead sent York fans into a frenzy.

Hull KR were clearly the more dominant team but York’s brave backline showed great courage as they continued to hold the defending champions at bay for the first 33 minutes.

Eventually Hull KR got on the scoreboard as Whitbread turned and broke from short range and Rhyse Martin made it 6-4 ahead.

After two consecutive penalty kicks, York’s Harris scored with 40 seconds left in the game. As the whistle sounded, the team walked into the tunnel with an incredible score of 6-6.

As expected, Hull KR continued their first half pressure in the second half and after two runs were blocked, Whitbread eventually got a double with a nice route run from close range. Martin scored again to lead 12-6.

Within 10 minutes, after Li Tengping passed the ball, it was Su’s turn to get under the stick. Martin completed the conversion again. With more than 20 minutes left in the game, the home team took an overall lead of 18-6, which was an ominous sign for the team.

Hull KR’s worst enemies were themselves, however, as Lewis deliberately tripped kicker Harris and was sent to the bin for a mistake, leaving his side 10 minutes behind.

During this period, York took advantage of Wood’s second goal and Harris chased the score to 18-12 with more than 10 minutes left in the game.

The York fans were loud and proud, erupting in applause when Zingano delivered a lob to lead by just one with four minutes remaining.

York were playing hard in that period and the biggest cheer of the night came when Arthur Mogg knocked and handed possession back to York, their victory confirmed when they made contact with Peta Hiku.

In fact, it would go down as one of the biggest wins for any promoted club in the 30-year history of the Premier League.

McShane: ‘We made history’ | Peters: Lewis let his team down

Man of the Match – Paul McShane – speaking on Sky Sports+:

“I don’t know how we did it. It wasn’t pretty, but the foundation of this team is hard work and unity. We showed that in the last 10 minutes of the game.

“This team is built on unity. The biggest thing that convinced me to go again this year was the culture. Nights like this make it worthwhile.

“We’ve made history as part of the Super League. To get that first win is amazing for the club. We got the result today but it’s a long season but we just want to keep competing and be respected.”

York Knights head coach Mark Applegarth spoke on Sky Sports+:

“Yeah (we’ve proven them all wrong). I’m really pleased with that. The try line defense really set the tone for us in the first half and made some of the lads nervous.

“There are seven lads making their Super League debuts and they’re fantastic. The challenge now is to keep up this level of performance. I’m really proud of the players and delighted to get the win for the city.”

sky sports Every match of the Chinese Super League this season will once again be broadcast live, with two games in each round being broadcast exclusively and the remaining five games being broadcast weekly. Sky Sports+