The Brooklyn Kings, members of the inaugural North American Rugby League kicking off in June, North America’s first professional rugby league competition, are pleased to announce the signing of Eddy Pettybourne. The deal will see Pettybourne play his first club games on local soil after representing the USA in two world cups.
Pettybourne, who was named in the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ Team of the Decade, has almost 200 professional appearances, most recently for Villeneuve where he currently plays in France. Off the field, Pettybourne has consultancy and ambassador roles with Lift High Performance and Endeavour Foundation.
“I’m very excited to be joining a great organization in the Brooklyn Kings,” Pettybourne said. “It’s always been a passion and dream of mine to give back to rugby league in America. I’m looking forward to meeting my new teammates and working towards back-to-back championships for the club.”
Pettybourne will join the Kings upon the end of the Elite One Championship, relocating from France to Brooklyn. The club will be aiming for its second consecutive championship in as many seasons, this time under the NARL banner.
“Eddy is an incredible addition to our team both on and off the field,” Brooklyn Kings’ Founder Matt Bailey said. “This moment is a massive show of confidence for our club, the new league and the Brooklyn community, and we thank Eddy for trusting in and propelling our vision. We can’t wait to welcome Eddy and his young family to Brooklyn and to build something special.”
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