The Hull FC Community Foundation is proud to announce the launch of the Daniel Geddes Memorial Festival, a heartfelt celebration of Learning Disability Rugby League taking place on Saturday 12th September 2026 at Hull YPI. The festival will bring together Learning Disability Super League teams from across the programme to honour Daniel’s legacy and showcase the true values he represented: sportsmanship, support, enjoyment and respect.
In keeping with these values, the festival will not record scores from fixtures; instead, each team will select another team they believe has best demonstrated true sporting spirit throughout the day, ensuring the focus remains on celebration, inclusion and the qualities Daniel embodied. The team with the most team votes will be crowned and will take away the Daniel Geddes Memorial Trophy for the year, before taking part again each year.
Mike Swainger, Head of Inclusion at the Hull FC Foundation, said: “Daniel represented everything that is special about Learning Disability Rugby League — joy, friendship, determination and a love for the game that lifted everyone around him. This festival is our way of honouring those qualities and ensuring his legacy continues to inspire every player who steps onto the field.”
Daniel was a beloved member of the Black & White family, a staff member, LDSL player, club partner and lifelong supporter whose infectious personality and passion for Hull FC made him a familiar face to everyone across the club and foundation. His passing has left an unfillable hole in our community, but his spirit continues to inspire the players, families and supporters who were fortunate enough to know him. Daniel and his family have been part of Hull FC for almost two decades, forming one of the club’s longest‑serving partnerships and supporting players, staff and community programmes with unwavering loyalty.
As one of the very first members of Hull FC’s Learning Disability Super League team, Daniel proudly earned LDSL Heritage Number #2 and spent five years playing alongside his brother Martin.
Daniel’s mum, Carol, added: “Daniel loved Hull FC with all his heart, and the club was such a huge part of his life. Knowing that this festival will celebrate the values he lived by means the world to us as a family. We’re so proud that his legacy will continue through the sport he adored.”
The Daniel Geddes Memorial Festival will celebrate everything Daniel stood for, bringing together teams, families and supporters for a day of Rugby League that reflects his joy, his kindness and his love for the sport.
Throughout the day, the festival will also raise funds for SUDEP Action, a charity close to Daniel’s family and one that provides vital support to those affected by Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. By coming together as a community, players, families and supporters will help honour Daniel’s memory in a way that reflects his compassion and the values he lived by, ensuring the festival not only celebrates his legacy on the field but also contributes to a cause deeply meaningful to those who loved him.
