Ian Hardman

Ian Hardman
Personal information
Born (1985-12-08) 8 December 1985
Height181 cm (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Weight95 kg (14 st 13 lb)[1]
Playing information
PositionFullback, Wing, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2003–08 St. Helens 47 11 8 0 60
2007(loan) Hull Kingston Rovers 18 4 0 0 16
2008(loan) Widnes Vikings 29 9 0 0 36
2009–18 Featherstone Rovers 288 131 151 1 827
Total 382 155 159 1 939
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
2026– Keighley Cougars 5 2 1 2 40
Source: [2][3]
As of 14 March 2026

Ian Hardman (born (1985-12-08)8 December 1985) is an English professional rugby league coach who is head coach of Keighley Cougars in the Championship, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played for Featherstone Rovers, St Helens, Hull Kingston Rovers and Widnes Vikings.

Background

Hardman was born in Whiston, Merseyside, England on 8 December 1985.[1]

Club career

Ian Hardman was a try scorer in the England Under-17s win over the Australian Institute of sport side in December 2003. He made his début for St. Helens against Castleford on 15 August 2003 and made 46 appearances for St. Helens in total, scoring 15 tries, 11 goals and 8 drop goals. During the 2007 season, first-team chances at St. Helens were limited so Ian was loaned to Hull Kingston Rovers, he was instrumental in keeping them in Super League in their first season, making 18 consecutive appearances. He returned to St. Helens, only to be signed by Widnes on a season long loan.[4]

Testimonial match

Ian Hardman's benefit season/testimonial match at Featherstone Rovers, allocated by the Rugby Football League, took place during the 2016 season.

Coaching career

Hardman moved into coaching after retiring from playing and was assistant coach at Featherstone Rovers between 2021 and 2025.[5] He moved to his first head coach role when he was appointed to that role at Keighley in February 2026.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Squad". Featherstone Rovers. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018. Retrieved 29 January 2026.
  2. ^ "Ian Hardman". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  3. ^ "Player Summary: Ian Hardman". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club.
  4. ^ "Hardman agrees Vikings loan deal". Runcorn and Widnes World. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 27 February 2026.
  5. ^ "Featherstone Rovers appoint new assistant coach – Total Rugby League". Total RL. 11 November 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
  6. ^ Olawumi, Ben (4 February 2026). "Former St Helens and Hull KR star named as Keighley Cougars' new head coach". Love Rugby League. Retrieved 27 February 2026.