An estate agent in Yorkshire will be keeping his job at Rochdale agency Reside after his rugby team failed in its attempt to win promotion to Rugby League’s ‘premier division’.

Ben White, who is a professional rugby league player for the Batley Bulldogs but who has also worked as a sales and lettings negotiator since 2015, had been hoping his team would beat Leigh last night and gain promotion to the Super League. But this was not to be – Batley were defeated 44 to 13 by Leigh.

Before the match The Sun newspaper had speculated whether half-back White would ditch his estate agency job should Batley gain promotion.  On Saturday he told the newspaper that: “All we know is that it’s a big moment for the club’s history. If it happens, we’ll sit down next week and talk it through. It’s a future problem, not a now problem.

Part-time

“For a part-time team to get within touching distance of the Super League is some achievement. I still work as an estate agent and I’ll actually be working today (Saturday) even though the game tomorrow is huge.”

“Work’s been quite lenient and the preparation hasn’t changed… training on Tuesday and Thursday nights and on a Saturday morning before going straight to the job until 3pm or 4pm. Saturday is my busiest day.”

Before working for Reside, the 27-year-old worked for an estate agency in Worsley. This year so far he’s played 25 games for the Batley Bulldogs and landed five tries.