A History of Rugby League in London

By Ron Knox
February 8 2006

This club history appears in the 2006 Harlequins RL Club Guide, which was written and compiled by Barry Underwood. Three separate and equally unsuccessful attempts, to introduce a professional RL club in London had been made in the 1930s.

The bold ventures at London Highfield (1933-34), Acton & Willesden (1935-36) and Streatham & Mitcham (1935-37) were perhaps doomed almost from the start. Despite some highly promising crowds in the early stages, the entrepreneurs of the day saw greyhound racing as the boom sport and rugby league in the capital died almost as soon as it had begun.

For forty-three years that was it for RL in London. Until quite out of the blue in June 1980, Fulham Football Club, and Chairman Ernie Clay, announced the formation of a rugby league team, with the open intention of creating another income stream for the soccer club. The RFL accepted the new club in what many thought was a madcap scheme. One of the games leading players Reg Bowden was recruited to act as player-coach and within weeks an experienced team of players was assembled. The opening match at Craven Cottage was a day never to be forgotten. Nearly 10,000 fans turned up, most of whom were watching their first ever RL match, to see the newly formed “men in black” overturn RL legends Wigan 24-5. That first season was a series of heady experiences; 12,583 fans to see Leeds beaten in the John Player Trophy, 15,013 to see Wakefield in the Challenge Cup, 11,926 for the end of season challenge versus RL champions, Bradford and of course most importantly promotion itself.

The euphoria of the opening season could never quite be matched in subsequent seasons. Relegation in 1981-82 was disappointing, although the visit of the great “Invincibles” from Australia was memorable in a match played in front of 10,432 fans. That season also saw the debut of London legend Hussein M’Barki. At the end of the fourth season continuing financial losses saw the plug pulled at Craven Cottage; but thanks to the backing of supporters Roy and Barbara Close and new coach Roy Lester, Fulham still had a future. Between 1984 and 1994 the Club spent periods based at Crystal Palace, Chiswick and Barnet. This decade was notable for its continued struggle both on and off the pitch.

A 1991 name change to London Crusaders coincided with an entertaining period on the pitch. The climax of this spell was a 1994 appearance in the Divisional Premiership Final at Old Trafford under popular coach Tony Gordon. A further development in the spring of 1994 was the announcement that the famous Brisbane Broncos were buying the Club and another name change to London Broncos was confirmed.

The world revolution in the game of rugby league saw the advent of Super League in 1996. Subsequently the Broncos made the journey to SE London where home matches were played at Charlton Athletic’s Valley stadium. The 1996 season indeed saw the best average home gate since the heady days of the inaugural season at Craven Cottage. Circumstances however saw another move, this time to West London, playing games at Harlequin RFC’s Stoop Memorial Ground. This period at the Stoop also saw the arrival of the Virgin Group as a popular majority shareholder. Much desired success on the pitch seemed to have arrived in 1997 with an excellent second place finish in Super League and a memorable victory over Canberra at the Stoop in the World Club Challenge. Later, in 1999, on a day long remembered by Broncos fans, London reached the Challenge Cup final, losing to Leeds in front of a crowd of 73,000, in what proved to be the last RL game to be played at the historic Wembley stadium.

After a second brief spell at the Valley, fervent supporter David Hughes purchased the majority shareholding from Virgin in a major restructuring of the Club; returning to West London in 2002 and playing home matches at Brentford FC’s Griffin Park Stadium. In July 2005 the Club announced that Ian Lenagan, Chairman of the Sports Café chain, had become Chairman and majority shareholder. Weeks later in August 2005, the club made the momentous announcement that at the conclusion of that season, London Broncos would form a partnership with Harlequins RFC which would include a name change to Harlequins RL and a move to the newly renamed Twickenham Stoop. After 73 years professional RL in London has finally found a place to call home!