Leeds Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos^[1] are an English rugby league club based in the town of Leeds, West Yorkshire. They are current members of the professional top-flight European competition, the Engage Super League.^[2] The Rhinos were Super League champions in 2007.

History[edit]

The earliest record of rugby in Leeds comes from 1864 when HI Jenkinson placed an advert for prospective players in the Leeds Mercury. The advert attracted significant interest which lead to the founding of several clubs including Leeds St. Johns in 1870, the ancestor of present-day Leeds Rhinos.

Initially, membership of St. Johns was confined to the church classes but this requirement was soon abandoned. After playing at the Militia Barracks from 1870 to 1888 the club moved to Cardigan Fields in the suburb of Headingley. When the Cardigan Estate was sold at auction in 1888, a group of ambitious citizens and sportsmen purchased Lot 17a with the aim of establishing a premier club for the city. This was developed into the combined cricket and rugby stadium known as Headingley. The 1889-90 season was the last season that the club was known as Leeds St. Johns as they became the Football Section of the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Co. Ltd.

In 1895 Leeds joined twenty-one other clubs in the breakaway Northern Rugby Football Union following a meeting of clubs at The George Hotel, Huddersfield. Although full-time professionalism was illegal players were allowed broken time payments of up to a maximum of six shillings per day for loss of earnings through playing rugby and reducing the number of players from fifteen to thirteen. Some other changes were made in an attempt to make the game more interesting for spectators but the use of a round ball was eventually dropped after some trial games.

Leeds first silverware came in the form of the Yorkshire League title in 1901-02 and was not followed until they won the Challenge Cup in 1909-10. Leeds financial fortunes suffered a blow in 1905-06, when Leeds City F.C. joined soccer's Second Division, and attracted considerable local support so that Leeds Rugby League's average attendance fell by nearly 50%.^[3]

With the resumption of the leagues after the First World War Leeds started to make a name for themselves and won the Yorkshire Cup in 1921-22, followed by their second Challenge Cup in 1922-23. However, this early promise failed to deliver despite a Yorkshire Cup win in 1928-29. In September 1930, Jeff Moores the club captain returned from Australia a young winger called Eric Harris (the 'Toowoomba Ghost') who became one of Leeds greatest players and a key member of the team that made the club a dominant force in the 1930s. During this period they won the Yorkshire Cup 5 times and the Challenge Cup twice.

Following World War II Leeds took some time to recover their previous prowess. Despite two trophies in the 1950s it had to wait until the late 1960s to hit a winning streak when between 1967 and 1981 they won two Championships, three Challenge Cups, two Premiership titles and eight Yorkshire Cups.

Despite a relatively barren spell over the next fifteen years Leeds were an inaugural member of the Super League when it was formed in 1996. They added Rhinos to their name in 1997. They were Super League Winners in 2004 and 2007 and in 2005 beat Australian side Canterbury Bulldogs 39-32 to secure victory in the World Club Challenge.

Leeds Rhinos still play at Headingley which has a capacity of 22,250. Since 2006 the ground has been known as Headingley Carnegie Stadium and is shared with the Rugby Union club Leeds Carnegie. The club is sponsored by Leeds Building Society. The original Leeds St. Johns side were known as the "Old Blue & Ambers" because of their strip. The current Leeds home kit is still predominantly blue with amber bands.

Honors[edit]

World Club Challenge[edit]

• 2005

Super League^[4][edit]

• 2004
• 2007

National Championship[edit]

• 1960-61
• 1968-69
• 1971-72

Challenge Cup[edit]

• 1909-10
• 1922-23
• 1931-32
• 1935-36
• 1940-41
• 1941-42
• 1956-57
• 1967-68
• 1976-77
• 1977-78
• 1999

Premiership[edit]

• 1974-75
• 1978-79

Yorkshire Cup[edit]

• 1921-22
• 1928-29
• 1930-31
• 1932-33
• 1934-35
• 1935-36
• 1937-38
• 1958-59
• 1968-69
• 1970-71
• 1972-73
• 1973-74
• 1975-76
• 1976,77
• 1979-80
• 1980-81
• 1988-89

Yorkshire League[edit]

• 1901-02
• 1927-28
• 1930-31
• 1933-34
• 1934-35
• 1936-37
• 1950-51
• 1954-55
• 1956-57
• 1960-61
• 1966-67
• 1967-68
• 1968-69
• 1969-70

Regal Trophy[edit]

• 1972-73
• 1983-84

Notes & references[edit]

1. ↑ Official club site
2. ↑ Super League official web site
3. ↑ Leeds City FC history.
4. ↑ Super League statistics

v • d • e Teams of the European Rugby Super League Bradford Bulls • Castleford Tigers • Catalans Dragons • Harlequins • Huddersfield Giants • Hull FC • Hull Kingston Rovers • Leeds Rhinos • St. Helens • Wakefield Trinity Wildcats • Warrington Wolves • Wigan Warriors