Leeds Tykes are saddened to learn of the recent death of Jon Wright on 30 January.
Jon was heavily involved with the club from 2014 and at his death he remained our largest shareholder in our ownership group.
He was an outstanding contributor to the club for many years as a director, a shareholder and as a member with a passion for our success. He also brought a great sense of fun, friendship and family to many of us and we remember him with tremendous affection.
Jon was born in Harrogate, lived near Thirsk, and went to school at Scarborough and Sedbergh, where his love of rugby flourished in the company of Will Greenwood and Will Carling. He then studied at London and Loughborough Universities and played rugby in South Africa and at Harlequins until he incurred a back injury when he was 22 years old.
Selling gym memberships in London followed and he identified a gap in the UK market for a ‘budget’ gym and opened his first gym in the Rugby League heartland of Castleford.
The chain then expanded to 50 gyms, and Jon won many awards during that period for his innovations and achievements. However, progress was halted by the advent of Covid, and Jon subsequently sold the business during that era.
Jon’s single objective for the Tykes was focused on bringing top level Rugby Union back to Yorkshire and we came closest in 2017 when we reached the play off final against London Irish. We lost a close first game then scored 48 points in the second leg at Reading – but lost! At that point a number of major grants to the club expired, securing funding became much more difficult and we know the rest of the story.
Jon was a good man and a great friend, trying to do something worthwhile of benefit to many people and doing his best to make it happen. He was outstanding company with a great sense of humour, and a love of rugby and his family, and his friends.
Our thoughts are with his wife and his two teenage children, and of the dreams we tried to realise together.
We will recognise Jon’s contribution at our home game on Saturday.