Rugby League sensation Joe Westerman is set to tie the knot, less than two years after a scandal involving a sex act saw him ousted by his wife.
Footage of the England international emerged just as the 2023 Super League season was kicking off.
Castleford Tigers, his team, stated they were handling the situation in-house at the time.
It was revealed by Westerman’s then-wife Lauren that she wasn’t the woman in the video, which was shot behind a Greggs outlet; reports suggested it featured a friend’s wife.
“We have three children one of whom is almost 15 and she doesn’t need to see things like this all over social media!” Lauren expressed her distress online.
After receiving the clip before it went viral, Lauren ended their marriage following the fallout. Westerman reportedly began dating estate agent Alison Hopkinson later in 2023, and now the couple has announced their engagement.
The Mail disclosed that Alison, a mother of two, flaunted their engagement on her social media. In 2023, the same news source verified their relationship, reports the Mirror.
In an exclusive chat with Mirror Sport in August 2023, Westerman opened up about the scandal.
He admitted: “The first few weeks were tough,” and reflected, “It was a massive mistake on my front, a stupid drunken mistake which shouldn’t have happened. Rugby-wise, I put it to one side and I think I’ve played some of my best rugby again.”
He revealed his coping strategy on the pitch: “I’m pretty good at leaving stuff off the field when I walk over that line. But it’s made me have to re-evaluate a lot of things. I am happier off the field and my kids seem happier which is important as it was hard on them. And it’s very amicable at the moment (with ex-wife Lauren).”
Westerman, 35, continued to be an influential figure for Castleford, captaining the team during the Super League season in 2024.
The team finished in 10th position, managing to stave off relegation yet not clinching a place in the end-of-season eliminators. Moving forward into the 2025 season, the veteran remains a crucial member of Castleford’s leadership group.
Nonetheless, coach Danny McGuire disclosed in December that Sam Wood will take over as captain moving forward.
Embracing the role, Wood commented, “To be given the captaincy in the second year and to be able to lead you boys around the field and making sure I am approachable and a voice for you boys,” adding, “I think if we put the team first and have that mentality we won’t go far wrong because we are building a good foundation this year.
“Everyone is working their socks off, everyone’s buying in, we are all brought in together. We’ve been working hard together and that team first mentality, will take us somewhere this year boys, I guarantee it.”
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