In preparation for the 2024 Betfred Championship, Whitehaven Rugby League welcomes Rio Corkill, a centre from south Cumbria neighbours Barrow Raiders.

Corkill, known for his versatility on the field, played 13 times for the Raiders in 2023, scoring three tries.

In 2022, he made his Super League debut for St Helens, stepping off the bench for the Round 26 clash against Wakefield Trinity.

Corkill is also a Nigerian international, qualifying for the African nation through his grandfather.

He previously made two appearances, competing against Cameroon and Ghana.

Excited about signing for Haven, Corkill said: “I can’t wait to start - I’m quite an ambitious person. I want to see how far I can go in the game and I believe coming here is the next step and the right step for me to really kick on.”

Haven head coach, Jonty Gorley, said: “It's good to get Rio over the line, I tried to sign Rio at the start of this season but he opted for his hometown club, Barrow, which I fully understood.

"Rio came through the St Helens youth system and any player I have worked with from setups like that of Wigan, Saints, Warrington Castleford etc, all have a great attitude and understand what it takes to get to be a top player, Rio is one of them players.

"Rio is a centre who can play a bit of backrow and has even filled in as a middle recently at Barrow. So getting a player who isn't pigeon holed is great for me as a coach.”