The youngest generation in Super League has only ever seen Danny Houghton make tackle after tackle while wearing the coveted shirt.
When Houghton seized the shirt from Shaun Berrigan, Amir Bourouh was just nine years old. He was too young to recall a time before Hull’s finest hooker, but he was older than some of his contemporary classmates.
Now 24, Bourouh has been tasked with replacing the two-time Challenge Cup winner, a former Man of Steel and the club’s joint-third highest appearance maker.
Rather than feel overawed by the responsibility, Bourouh is sensing an opportunity to create a legacy of his own.
He’s been the starting hooker ever since I started watching rugby,” Bourouh told The Yorkshire Post.
“I thought it was a fantastic chance to solidify that starting position and duplicate what he achieved for all those years, even though there are some other excellent hookers here as well.
“When you look back at all the games he played, the trophies he won and the Man of Steel, I sat back and realised how big an honour it was to get his nine shirt.
“The shirt has been handed to me, and I now have it to lose. To do the garment justice, I will exert all effort.
After returning to Yorkshire, Bourouh is getting ready to play in his first Challenge Cup match against York Acorn on Saturday.
Before being spotted by the Wigan Warriors, the Huddersfield native grew up with Morgan Smithies, Tom Holroyd, and Riley Dean as part of Siddal’s legendary youth system.
After leaving the Salford Red Devils for Hull, Bourouh is eager to establish himself in his own county after spending a season on loan with the Halifax Panthers in 2021.
“It still seems far from home but it’s nice to be at a Yorkshire club,” he stated. “After traveling for two weeks, I moved over. That was sufficient.
“I discussed the club’s objectives with Richie (Myler, rugby director).” Undoubtedly, this club has a long history and deserves to be among the top six once more.
“Based on what he was saying at the time, I thought it was headed in the right direction, and now that I’m here, I’m positive.
“At the start of pre-season, we were urged to forget about what’s gone before and start anew.
There’s a fantastic ethos about the organization and we’re establishing a solid culture. Replicating that on the field each week is our responsibility.
After reaching new heights the previous season, when they narrowly missed the wooden spoon on points differential, Hull has been written off before a ball has been kicked in 2025.
Bourouh has been there before after an eye-opening experience at Salford.
Despite appearing to be in constant upheaval from the outside, the Red Devils have managed to make it to the playoffs twice in the last three seasons.
The build-up to the new season has been dominated by Salford’s financial issues, but Bourouh believes the atmosphere within the camp will differ significantly from the general sense of worry throughout the game.
“It’s probably been worrying for others looking in but I don’t reckon anyone has been worried there,” he stated. Since it occurs most years, it is nothing new to them.
“It just adds more to that underdog story for them and fuels their fire. Paul Rowley will really enjoy going off the back of that.
“Everyone on the squad supports it. Rowls is a major force behind that underdog mindset. We had a ‘we against them’ mentality and wanted to disprove a lot of people.
It’s a positive frame of mind. Given everything that has transpired, they will most likely repeat the same action this year.
Salford, who defied the odds to finish fourth last year, has no need for inspiration, while Hull’s most recent play-off berth dates back to 2020.
The Black and Whites want to improve in 2025, which many believe will stop their slow decline in the Super League.
However, John Cartwright’s revamped team isn’t going to accept another disappointing result.
“I feel like this is more of an underdog situation than the one at Salford when you look at the season they’ve just had,” Bourouh stated.
It’s comparable to my first year at Salford (2022), when we finished sixth despite predictions that we would place eleventh or twelveth. Fans will now be forecasting that for Hull.
“This club has a lot of competitors, and we want to be in the top six. We won’t be content to finish close to the bottom.
“I feel good about it, but everyone is confident in preseason.”
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