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Knights bring in Bulldogs' Buchanan as second off-season signing

emma kennedy
·2-min read
York Knights have signed Kieran Buchanan on a two-year deal from Batley Bulldogs. <i>(Image: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)</i>
York Knights have signed Kieran Buchanan on a two-year deal from Batley Bulldogs. (Image: Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com)

YORK Knights have signed Kieran Buchanan on a two-year deal from Betfred Championship rivals Batley Bulldogs.

The 25-year-old has caught the eye at Batley, for whom he scored 26 tries in 115 appearances during his four seasons at the club.

He is the Knights’ second new recruit ahead of the 2025 season, following former Man of Steel Paul McShane through the doors at the LNER Community Stadium.

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Buchanan began his career with hometown club Hull FC, making 13 Betfred Super League appearances before joining Batley in 2021.

An international call-up with Scotland followed, and he went on to feature in all three of the Bravehearts’ World Cup fixtures against Italy, Australia and Fiji. He has proved to be an ever-present at Batley since, turning out 33 times in each of the last two campaigns.

Whilst predominantly plying his trade at centre, Buchanan also featured on the wing and in the second-row for the Bulldogs in 2024 and can cover at full-back.

An obvious target recruitment position for Mark Applegarth’s side, he will help the Knights to fill the void of losing the vastly experienced Jimmy Keinhorst, who retired in August to focus on his career as a train driver.

With Levi Edwards sitting out the entire campaign injured, both Oli Field and Nikau Williams played out of position in the centres, whilst Wakefield loanee Joe Law proved an astute addition late in the season.

As such, Buchanan’s name had been strongly linked with the Knights, with Batley boss Mark Moxon all but confirming his move to the club in a post-match interview after the sides’ clash in August.

Applegarth is pleased to have secured the Scotland international’s services, enthusing: “I’m really looking forward to working with Keiran.

“He’s a player that’s played in the Championship for a number of years and he’s been there and done it all.

“I’m really happy to have a player of that sort of calibre joining us. He’ll offer a lot of experience to the younger members of the squad and I’m really happy to be working alongside him.”