Kai Pearce-Paul (born 19 February 2001) is an English professional rugby league footballer who plays as a second-row forward or centre for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League. He has represented England at international level.
He previously played for the Wigan Warriors in the Super League.
Background
Pearce-Paul played his amateur rugby league for the Croydon Hurricanes.
Pearce-Paul is of English, Faroese, St Vincent and Antiguan descent.[2] He is the younger brother of former London Broncos and London Skolars player Kam Pearce-Paul and older brother of Saracens rugby union footballer Kaden Pearce-Paul.
Club career
Wigan Warriors
2020
Pearce-Paul made his Super League debut in round 14 of the 2020 Super League season for the Warriors against St Helens where Wigan went on to lose 42–0 against a much more experienced St Helens squad, Pearce-Paul started from the bench and became Wigan Warriors player #1109.[5][6][7]
2022
Pearce-Paul played 18 games for Wigan in the 2022 Super League season including the clubs shock semi-final loss against Leeds.[8]
In December, it was announced that Pearce-Paul had signed a two-year contract with the Newcastle Knights in the NRL, starting in 2024.[9][10]
2023
In 2023, Pearce-Paul played in 23 matches for Wigan, scoring three tries.[11] His final game for the club was the 2023 Super League Grand Final, in which Wigan defeated the Catalans Dragons 10-2.[12][13]
Newcastle Knights
2024
In round 1 of the 2024 NRL season, Pearce-Paul made his club debut for Newcastle in their loss against Canberra.[14] He played 22 games for Newcastle in the 2024 NRL season as the club finished 8th and qualified for the finals. He played in their elimination finals loss against North Queensland.[15]
International career
In 2022, Pearce-Paul was selected for England's 2021 Rugby League World Cup campaign, and made his debut against Greece scoring a try in a 94-4 victory.[16]
Honours
Wigan Warriors
- Super League
- Winners (1): 2023
- League Leaders' Shield
- Challenge Cup
- Winners (1): 2022
Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 |  Wigan Warriors
|
1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 19 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 18 | 4 | 16 | |
| 2023 | 23 | 3 | 12 | |
| 2024 |  Newcastle Knights
|
20 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 81 | 7 | 28 | |
References
- ^ "Kai Pearce-Paul: Wigan Warriors sign London Broncos academy forward". 8 November 2019. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ a b c "Kai Pearce-Paul - Wigan Warriors". Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Player Summary: Kai Pearce-Paul". Rugby League Records. Rugby League Record Keepers Club. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ "Kai Pearce-Paul - Career Stats & Summary". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Round 14 fixtures confirmed". Sky Sports. 22 September 2020.
- ^ "Starting Lineups - Wigan vs St Helens". Sky Sports. 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Super League: Wigan vs St Helens". BBC. 29 September 2020.
- ^ "Super League play-offs: Catalans Dragons 10-20 Leeds Rhinos - Liam Sutcliffe hat-trick secures win". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Knights announce English signings". Newcastle Knights. 5 December 2022.
- ^ "Kai Pearce-Paul & Will Pryce to join NRL side Newcastle Knights after 2023 season". www.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Custom Match List - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Betfred Super League - Grand Final - Wigan Warriors 10 def. Catalans Dragons 2 - RLP". www.rugbyleagueproject.org.
- ^ "Wigan Warriors crowned Super League champions after downing Dragons". www.theguardian.com.
- ^ "Raiders run rampant over Knights in 28-12 NRL win". www.espn.co.uk.
- ^ "Brutal reality Newcastle must accept before solving confidence-killing 'riddle'". www.nine.com.au.
- ^ "Rugby League World Cup: England crush Greece as Dom Young scores four tries". www.bbc.co.uk.
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