World Club champions Hull KR have made the mid-season signing of former NRL forward Tevita Pangai Junior for the remainder of the 2026 season.
After falling through with a deal at the Warrington Wolves before the season started, and spending the earlier months of the year playing Rugby Union in the South of France, LoveRugbyLeague has revealed the NRL star-turned-boxer has a new home.
It is a significant play by Willie Peters to bring some strike and mongrel into the Robins' forward pack to continue their dominance in the Super League.
Pangai Junior will link up with the Rovers, making it his fourth professional club after famously retiring from the NRL to take up a career in boxing, before later returning to the Dolphins for a short stint.
Moving into the second half of the season, the NSW Blues representative will help bring experience and strength to the Hull KR side when he arrives at the club in May.
He played 23 games for the Catalans Dragons in their 2025 campaign before negotiations for the Wolves began, where he later reneged on the Wire.
Towering in at 191cm and 117 kilograms, the 30-year-old forward can still offer plenty and will be looking to bring his signature aggression and explosive energy.
It will be fireworks when Sam Burgess's Wolves outfit hosts Hull KR on May 11.
The two rival clubs will have the clash marked in the calendar after Pangai Junior publicly stated his desire to play under Burgess before opting out of the deal.
