DAVID HEWITT CALLS TIME ON CAREER

Veteran half-back steps back from rugby league (for now)

Following discussions with Head Coach Mark Dunning, we can confirm that the club have agreed to release half-back David Hewitt from his contract for the 2025 season following his decision to step away from professional rugby so he can recover from an ongoing injury and juggle a combination of work and family commitments.

Chewy joined the Hurricanes ahead of the 2024 season on a two-year contract following the expiry of his contract with fellow League One side Rochdale Hornets. Before Rochdale, he started his professional career at St Helens (making his professional debut for Oldham in 2015), before signing for Championship side Sheffield Eagles in 2016. He made just over a dozen appearances for the Eagles alongside a second loan spell at Oldham, which eventually saw him join the Roughyeds in 2017 and make 130 appearances across six seasons.

Whilst at the Alexander Stadium Chewy made 15 appearances for the Canes, scoring two tries and kicking 50 goals. His final appearance was in our heart-breaking 18-14 Elimination Semi-Final defeat to Hunslet at the South Leeds Stadium.

We spoke with Chewy about his decision to step away from rugby league:

“After much thought and consideration, I made the difficult decision to take a break from rugby. The sport has been a foundation of my life for over 20 years, but due to a combination of an ongoing injury, increasing work commitments, and the challenge of balancing everything with family life, I’ve made this tough choice.

Rugby has always been something I’ve approached with 100% dedication and effort. At this moment, I am unable to give that same level of commitment, and I feel it would be unfair to the club and the fans to continue knowing how much they all invest in taking this club to the heights it deserves to reach.

The past 12 months with this club have been incredible. I truly believe Midland Hurricanes is one of, if not the best-run clubs I’ve had the privilege of being involved with during my career. The dedication and passion from everyone involved are unmatched, and I’m confident that success is just around the corner.

I want to thank Mark, Leigh, Moff, Mike and Greg personally for making me feel like a member of the Canes family, and I want nothing more than for the club to succeed.”

We also spoke with Head Coach Mark Dunning on his discussions with Chewy:

“Having spoken with Chewy over a number of days and fully understanding how much thought he had put into this decision, I regrettably accepted it with the gratitude and respect it deserved.

I followed Dave’s career from afar over the years and regularly had to coach and preview against him. He should undoubtedly be very proud of himself  and what he has achieved to date.

It was truly heartening to know and hear how much he enjoyed being a part of the Hurricanes over the last 12 months. On behalf of all the staff, I want to pass on our thanks for all his hard work and contributions throughout his time with us. He has been a big part of our transformation and, in short, a pleasure to coach and work with everyday”.

Mark has made clear the door remains firmly open for Dave to re-join the club once he recovers from his injury and is comfortable juggling his various commitments alongside his rugby league career. However, for now, we would like to thank Chewy for all his efforts in a Hurricanes shirt.

Chewy was sponsored by Utiliko for the 2024 season.