Out-of-favour Castleford recruit Jack Ashworth sent on Championship loan for ‘match fitness’

Castleford Tigers have sent out-of-favour forward Jack Ashworth on a month-long loan to the Championship, with the off-season recruit joining Doncaster.

Ashworth joined Cas from fellow Super League outfit Hull FC ahead of the 2026 campaign as he put pen to paper on a two-year deal.

Arriving at The Jungle in the midst of a seven-game suspension picked up late last term, he missed the start of this season but eventually made his debut against former club Huddersfield Giants on February 27.

Just five further appearances have followed for the Tigers though, with his last taste of first-team action coming on April 24 as Ryan Carr’s side were thumped 50-10 on home soil by Hull.

And now, Ashworth has been sent out on loan to Doncaster, with match fitness labelled as the aim of the switch.

‘We felt this loan was a good chance to help Jack to maintain his match fitness at a competitive level’

A Super League Grand Final winner with St Helens back in 2019, Ashworth – who will turn 31 next month – has 160 senior career appearances to his name at club level alongside one game for England Knights.

Since his last run out for Cas, he has featured for their reserves and was the unused 18th man at first-team level on one occasion against Leigh Leopards at the start of this month.

As his loan to Doncaster was announced, the Tigers’ Director of Rugby Chris Chester said: “Fierce competition for places in our pack in recent weeks has meant that Jack hasn’t played for a few games.

“We felt this loan was a good chance to help Jack to maintain his match fitness at a competitive level so that he can stay sharp and ready to return to our first-team when called upon.”

Rochdale-born Ashworth has only ever been permanently contracted to Saints, Huddersfield, Hull and Cas.

But he has had a plethora of loan/dual-registration clubs throughout his career, with Doncaster following on from hometown club Rochdale Hornets, Sheffield Eagles, Leigh, Featherstone Rovers and Halifax Panthers.

Doncaster’s head coach Richard Horne said: “Jack is a big and powerful addition to the squad. He carries hard, dominates the contact area and brings real presence on both sides of the ball.

“We’re delighted to have him on loan and look forward to seeing the impact he can make.”

Ashworth’s Dons debut could come this weekend away against Fax, with Horne’s side currently occupying a spot in the Championship play-offs.

During his month-long loan, they are also set to travel on the road to Widnes Vikings, London Broncos and Swinton Lions.