Hull KR fan flies 10,500 miles for Grand Final

An Australian rugby league fan has flown 10,500 miles (16,864 km) to watch Hull Kingston Rovers in this weekend's Grand Final game.

Leonard Gregory, from Sydney, and his wife, Sue, only booked their flight last week after the Robins won their place in the final.

Mr Gregory, 55, said he became interested in the team after his wife paid a visit to Craven Park during the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

The retired accountant said while watching the game on TV in Australia "it was the crowd that I sort of fell in love with".

After attending his first live game in Hull in 2015 he said: "I just felt I'd found a community and over that time it's just developed more and more."

He follows the club on social media and watches live games on TV, despite the time difference meaning an early morning start in Australia.

"You sit down at 5am on a Saturday and you just see Craven Park there, it just looks great," he said.

Mrs Gregory, who supports Australian rugby league side South Sydney Rabbitohs, said her husband's passion for the Robins was "big".

"We can certainly judge his mood by whether Hull KR have won or not," she said.

"Thankfully, this season they've won more than not."

As well as the club, Mr Gregory said he had fallen in love with the city and its residents.

"It's got something special about it, there's a sense of vibrancy. " he said.

"Don't be down on the place, it's fantastic."

He said he would enjoy the experience at Old Trafford on Saturday regardless of the result in the final against Wigan Warriors.

"I've seen my club play on the biggest stage that they can in the competitions they play in," he said.

"So that's what it's about."

Listen to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.