Hull Kingston Rovers
| [[File:Modified coat of arms|frameless]] | |
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Hull Kingston Rovers Rugby League Football Club |
| Colours | Red and white |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Website | Hull KR official club site |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) | |
| Competition | Super League (Europe) |
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR are a British rugby league club. For the 2007 season they will play in Super League (Europe), having won promotion from League One of the National League in the 2006 season. They play at Craven Park in Hull in red and white home shirts, and blue and white away shirts, and are nicknamed 'The Robins'.
History
1882-1962
Hull Kingston Rovers began in 1882 when a group of boilermakers in the Hessle Road area of Hull came together to start a team in the Hull and District rugby union league. Originally named Kingston Amateurs, the club colours were agreed to be red jerseys with a blue band across the chest, white shorts and red socks. The first ground that was used was a piece of waste land in Albert Street, and in the Autumn of 1883 a new club was founded when Kingston Amateurs kicked off the season playing in the Hull and District league.
By 1885 Kingston Amateurs had played at three grounds, Albert Street, Anlaby Road and now Chalk Lane. The club name was also changed to Kingston Rovers as they entered the Times Cup in the 1885/86 season. In somewhat of an upset, the club won their first round game against Hessle.
A number of clubs were joining the leagues and the club entered the new Hull and District rugby union cup, losing to Hull 'A' in the final. The club won its first trophy in the 1887/88 season by winning the Times Cup, beating Selby A in the final. The Rovers moved to their fourth home ground, down Hessle Road. In 1888/89, 6,000 fans turned up to the cup game against Hull A at the Holderness Road ground, which ended up being a draw. As rugby kept growing in the north of England, more teams were taking up the sport. The Rovers went through the next season losing just two games, defeating Britannia in the Times Cup final. The following year the Rovers entered the Yorkshire Cup for the first time, though they were knocked out by Dewsbury in the second round. In 1892 the Rovers played out of the Boulevard. They lost to Bradford in the first round of the Yorkshire Cup.
In 1895 the Northern Football Union was founded, when the leading rugby union sides in the North of England broke away to form a league of their own, comprising 22 clubs.
In 1899 Hull Kingston Rovers replaced Heckmondwike in the Yorkshire Senior Competition. In 1902/3 The Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues were combined to form a second division. Hull Kingston Rovers were one of the new teams to join the second division and finished joint second. Rovers then moved to their first East Hull ground, on Craven Street off Holderness Road.
1963-present
In 1963/64, Rovers reached the final of the Challenge Cup at Wembley, losing the final 5-13 to Widnes in front of 84,488 fans.
Phil Hogan was transferred to Hull KR in 1978 for a then world record fee of £33,000. Rovers topped the league for the first time in 1978/79. Plus, in 1979/80 HKR achieved a famous defeat of neighbours Hull FC, by a margin of 10-5 in the final of the Challenge Cup, at Wembley in front of 95,000 fans. Steve Hubbard scored nine out of the ten points for Rovers and is still a minor sporting celebrity in Hull today.
In 1989/90 Rovers moved to a new ground called the "new" Craven Park. The first match played was against the now defunct, Trafford Borough, and it saw a full 8,500 pack in to watch the match. Rovers started the new era convincingly, and were crowned Second Division champions with promotion back to the top flight.
When the Super League was formed, it was suggested that Hull Kingston Rovers should merge with Hull FC to form 'Humberside' and compete in the Super League.
In 2002 Steve Linnane became the club's first overseas coach, as the Robins came within eighty minutes of their first Grand Final appearance after a largely successful end to the season. Whilst the arrival of former player Nick Halafihi as Chief Executive, boosted the club's off field activities.
In 2004 the club appointed Mal Reilly and Martin Hall as director of rugby and first team coach. But, Reilly left the club mid way through the season, while Hall took the club to the play off semi-final before leaving once the season had finished. Halafihi also left the club.
Harvey Howard was appointed first team coach, and Paul Lakin appointed Chief Executive in late 2004. Howard was dismissed shortly before the Northern Rail Cup Final, which Rovers went on to win 18-16 against Castleford Tigers (see 2005 Northern Rail Cup), with The Robins utilising the temporary player coaching abilities of James Webster.
Permanently taking over from Howard was the former Toulouse coach, Justin Morgan. October 2005 saw the club still in the National League, after failing to get past the semi final stage of the NL1 play offs. Rovers also started a number of ground improvements, including the laying of a new pitch, and widening of the playing surface. Hull Kingston Rovers also made some big signings for the 2006 season.
Upto that time unbeaten in their 2006 fixtures, in early June they were drawn to meet Super League side Warrington Wolves, in the quarter final of the Challenge Cup. It was arguably their biggest fixture for some years. Against all the odds the Robins won, 40-36, their greatest result in the competition, since their 1980 Challenge Cup win against bitter rivals Hull FC. This result also set a new club record of 18 consecutive wins. The victory set up a semi final tie against Super League leaders, St Helens.
Rovers also progressed to the final of the Northern Rail Cup for the second successive season, against Leigh Centurions at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool on the 16 July. Leigh Centurions won this game 22-18, thus ending Rovers' twenty-four match unbeaten run.
The club's Challenge Cup campaign came to an abrupt halt, gamely succumbing 50-0 to St Helens at The Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield.
Sunday 10 September saw Rovers crowned National League One Minor Premier winners, and qualify for an automatic place in the NL1 playoff semi final at Craven Park against Widnes Vikings who they beat 29 - 22 to reach their first grand final in history. They went on to win 29-16, earning a spot on the following season's Super League competition.
Coaching Setup & Squad List
| Staff Name | Position | Previous Club | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Justin Morgan | Head Coach | Toulouse Olympique |
|
|
Mark Barnes | Assistant Coach | Harlequins |
|
Tony O'Brien | Conditioner | Castleford Tigers |
|
|
Francis Stephenson | Coach | Harlequins |
Major honours
- Championship: 1922-23, 1924-25, 1978-79, 1983-84, 1984-85 (5 times)
- Challenge Cup: 1979-80
- Challenge Cup Plate: 1997
- Yorkshire League: 1924-25, 1925-26, 1966-67 (3 times)
- Yorkshire Cup : 1920-21, 1929-30, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1974-75, 1985-86 (6 times)
- BBC2 Floodlit Trophy: 1977-78
- National League One Champions: 2006
- Minor Premiership National League One: 2006
- Northern Rail Cup: 2005
- John Player Special Trophy: 1984-85
- Premiership: 1980-81, 1983-84