Rugby player left the playoff at halftime: Wife went into labor.

Matty Lees' substitution during the game

According to The Sun: Rugby League star Matty Lees from the St Helens team left the stadium during the important playoff match against the Leeds Rhinos.

The fans were shocked to see the 27-year-old player leave the AMT Headingley stadium at halftime.

St Helens' Matty Lees has just left the stadium at half time as his wife has gone into labour pic.twitter.com/8segGPOfAp

— Sky Sports Rugby League (@SkySportsRL) September 27, 2025

Why Lees left the game

The player left the game in a tracksuit as the team was trailing 12-6 against the opponent. It quickly became known that his wife Beth had gone into labor.

The fans immediately began to leave their well-wishes on social media.

• One fan wrote: “Good luck, Matty, see you next week.”
• Another added: “I respect his decision.”
• A third wrote: “Good luck.”
• Another fan wished: “All the best!”
• And someone noted: “I wish you and Beth all the happiness.”

The St Helens team managed to regroup in the second half and achieved a 16-14 victory.

Coach's reaction

The coach of St Helens, Paul Wellens, noted that the birth was not planned for that Sunday, but there was an agreement with the player that he could leave if circumstances changed.

Wellens said after the game:

“His partner was supposed to be induced tomorrow, but circumstances changed.”

“You don't talk to the baby inside and ask it to wait a few hours, so everything happened faster than we thought.”

The coach also added:

“It’s important that he is there for the birth of his child.”

Winning the game is certainly important, but in such situations, family always comes first.

Thus, Matty Lees' spontaneous action triggered a great response from the fans, who sincerely welcomed this important prioritization by the player. Despite the tense situation on the field, his team managed to achieve victory, which was a welcome addition to this happy moment in the athlete's life.