Warrington star Stefan Ratchford granted testimonial

Drew Darbyshire

Warrington full-back Stefan Ratchford has been granted a testimonial year by the Rugby Football League for 2022.

The 33-year-old joined Warrington from Salford in 2012 and has gone on to make 276 appearances for the Wolves.

Ratchford, who has won seven caps for England, is eighth on the list of the club’s all-time leading points scorers with 1,194 points from 83 tries, 430 goals and two drop-goals.

From the bottom to the top

Ratchford said: “It’s a massively proud moment for me to be given a testimonial.

“When I signed for Warrington from Salford I moved from a club that was struggling at the bottom of the league to a successful club winning Challenge Cups. So I really wasn’t sure at first how long I was going to be here. If it was just going to be one or two years. To be here now 11 seasons later, having enjoyed and been part of some incredible moments and still being able to pull on the shirt each week is a massive honour.

“I’ve been speaking to the Hilly (Chris Hill) and Coops (Mike Cooper) who’ve had testimonials in recent years. Although they’ve had it tough because of restrictions brought on by the pandemic, they’ve still really enjoyed the events that they have been able to do and the support that the fans have given them.

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“We’ve got some exciting events planned – a real mix that for everyone to attend. Hopefully the fans will get behind it and it can be a really enjoyable year on and off the pitch.”

An RFL Spokesman said: “The RFL congratulate Stefan Ratchford for earning a testimonial year through his service to the Salford and Warrington clubs, to the England national team (and before that England Knights), and to the game in general.”