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List of defunct rugby league clubs

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This is a list of defunct professional rugby league clubs.

Australia

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New South Wales Rugby League (1908–1994)

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Club First year Last Year Reason
Annandale 1910 1920
Cumberland 1908 1908
Glebe Dirty Reds 1908 1929 Glebe Dirty Reds still exist at New South Wales Cup level.
Newcastle Rebels 1908 1909 Newcastle exist in the modern day competition, in a new form. The "original" Newcastle side disbanded in 1909 to form the Newcastle competition, and the "modern" Newcastle Knights were formed in 1988.
Newtown Jets 1908 1983 Newtown Jets still exist at New South Wales Cup level. Excluded for financial reasons.
University 1920 1937 University were reformed in 2018 and still exist at Sydney Shield level.

ARL (1995–1997), SL (1997) and NRL (1998–)

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Club First League
season
Last League
season
Reason Current status
Adelaide Rams 1997 1998 Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Balmain Tigers 1908 1999 Merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies Became Wests Tigers in 2000
Gold Coast Chargers 1988 1998 Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. Gold Coast Titans formed in 2007
Hunter Mariners 1997 1997 Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Illawarra Steelers 1982 1998 Merged with the St. George Dragons Became St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999
North Sydney Bears 1908 1999 Merged with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles Became Northern Eagles in 2000.
Northern Eagles 2000 2002 Disbanded Reverted to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears in 2003
St. George Dragons 1921 1998 Merged with the Illawarra Steelers Became St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999
South Queensland Crushers 1995 1997 Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Western Reds 1995 1997 Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war.
Western Suburbs Magpies 1908 1999 Merged with the Balmain Tigers Became Wests Tigers in 2000

The teams listed above, with the exception of Adelaide, Hunter, Gold Coast, Northern Eagles and South Queensland still participate in lower level competitions, including the NSW Cup, S.G. Ball and Harold Matthews competitions.

Queensland Cup (1996–)

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This section particularly includes the Queensland Rugby League sides which no longer compete in the top level of that league.

Club First year Last Year Reason
Brothers-Valleys 2002 2002
Bundaberg Grizzlies
Cairns Cyclones 1996 1996
Central Capras
Gold Coast Vikings 1982 1995
Logan Scorpions 1987 2002 Merged with Souths Magpies to form Souths Logan Magpies.
Mackay Sea Eagles[citation needed]
Past Brothers 1917 1998
Port Moresby Vipers
Sunshine Coast Falcons 1996 1996
Souths Magpies 1921 2002 Merged with the Logan Scorpions to form Souths Logan Magpies.[citation needed]
Toowoomba Clydesdales 1996 2006
Townsville Stingers[citation needed]
Wests Panthers 1915 2003

Brisbane Rugby League (1909–1997)

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Club First year Last Year Reason
Fortitude Valley Diehards 1909 1995
Milton
Toombul 1996 1996
University 1922 1933

England

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These clubs competed in the Rugby Football League from 1895.

Club First League
season
Last League
season
Reason Current status
Acton & Willesden 1935 1936 Folded
Altrincham 1901 1902 Folded
Birkenhead Wanderers 1901 1904 Folded
Blackpool Gladiators 1954 1993 Folded
Blackpool Panthers 2004 2010 Liquidated in 2011
Bradford F.C. 1864 1907 Switched to association football Reformed as Bradford Park Avenue
Bramley 1896 1999 Folded Reformed as Bramley Buffaloes in 2004
Brighouse Rangers 1895 1906 Folded Reformed as an amateur club.
Broughton Rangers 1895 1955 Disbanded
Carlisle 1981 1997 Merged with Barrow Braves Currently known as Barrow Raiders
Carlisle City 1928 1928 Resigned mid-season
Castleford RFC 1896 1906 Disbanded Castleford Tigers formed in 1926
Chorley Lynx 1989 2004 Folded Blackpool Panthers formed in 2004
Coventry 1910 1913 Disbanded Coventry Bears formed in 1999
Gateshead Thunder 1999 1999 Merged with Hull F.C. after 1999 season Reformed as Newcastle Thunder in 2001
Goole 1901 1902 Folded
Heckmondwike 1896 1902 Folded
Holbeck 1896 1904 Folded
Hunslet F.C. 1895 1973 Folded Reformed as New Hunslet in 1973
Kent Invicta (1983–84)/Southend Invicta (1984–85) 1983 1985 Liquidated in 1985
Lancaster 1901 1905 Folded
Leeds Parish Church 1896 1901 Folded
Liverpool City 1906 1909 Folded Another Liverpool City formed in 1958 but folded
Liversedge 1895 1902 Folded
Manningham 1895 1903 Switched to association football Reformed as Bradford City
Nottingham City 1984 1993 Resigned from the league Became an amateur club after relegation from the professional leagues in 1993.
Millom 1897 1906 Resigned Reverted to amateur status and joined Cumberland Senior Competition.
Morecambe 1896 1901 Folded
Newcastle 1936 1938 Folded Gateshead Thunder formed in 2001 and were renamed Newcastle Thunder in 2015
Normanton 1901 1907 Folded Reformed as an amateur club
Pontefract 1903 1907 Folded
Radcliffe 1901 1902 Folded
Runcorn 1895 1914 Folded
Scarborough Pirates 1991 1992 Folded Reformed as an amateur club
Sheffield Eagles (1984) 1984 1999 Merged with Huddersfield Giants in 1999 Reformed as Sheffield Eagles in 2000
South Shields 1902 1904 Folded
Sowerby Bridge 1901 1905 Folded
St Helens Recs 1918 1939 Folded Reformed as an amateur side Pilkington Recs in 1949
Stockport 1895 1903 Folded
Streatham & Mitcham 1935 1936 Folded
Tyldesley 1895 1900 Folded Reverted to Rugby Union in 1911
Prescot Panthers 1902 1997 Folded
York Wasps 1895 2002 Folded Reformed as York City Knights in 2002

France

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Merged with XIII Catalan to form Union Treiziste Catalane.
Merged with AS Saint Estève to form Union Treiziste Catalane.

New Zealand

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Bartercard Cup (2000–)

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Lion Red Cup (1994–1996)

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Wales

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Welsh League (1908–1909)

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(these teams also competed in the Northern Rugby Football Union)

Club First year Last Year International capped players Notes
Aberdare RLFC 1908 1909
Barry RLFC 1908 1908
Ebbw Vale RLFC 1907 1912
Merthyr Tydfil RLFC 1907 1911
Mid-Rhondda RLFC 1908 1909
Treherbert RLFC 1908 1910

Welsh League (1949–55)

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Club First year Last Year International capped players Notes
Aberavon RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955
Amman Valley RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955 Played at Brewery Field, with Bridgend RFC temporarily moving out.
Bridgend RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955
Cardiff RLFC[citation needed] 1951 1952
  • Milson Hunt for Wales while at Cardiff in 1951
  • Glyn Morgan for Wales while at Huddersfield, and Cardiff 1947-1949 4-caps
  • Ted Ward for Wales while at Wigan, and Cardiff 1946-1951 13-caps, and for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1946 against Australia (2 matches) and New Zealand
Also played in the

Northern Rugby Football Union

Llanelli RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955
Neath RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955
  • Roy Lambert for Wales while at Neath, Dewsbury, and Warrington 1950–1952 (7 caps)
Swansea RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955
Ystradgynlais RLFC[citation needed] 1949 1955

Northern Rugby Football Union (1895–)

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Club First year Last Year International capped players Notes
Cardiff City Blue Dragons 1981 1984 Relocated and became

Bridgend Blue Dragons (1984–1985)

before disbanding.

Pontypridd[1] 1926 1927
  • Ponty Davies won caps for Wales 1926-1927 2-caps, and while at Warrington in 1928
  • Bert Green for Wales 1926-1927 2-caps
  • George Oliver for Wales (RU) for Wales (RU) while at Pontypool RFC in 1920 against England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, and for Wales (RL) while at Hull, and Pontypridd 1921–1927 (4-caps)
  • Billy Rhodes for Wales 1926
  • Les White for Wales while at Pontypridd and Hunslet 1928–1933 (7-caps) for England while at Hunslet 1933 against Australia, and for Great Britain while at Hunslet in 1932 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), and in 1933 Australia (2 matches)
South Wales 1996 - Lasted one season -

by 1996 the season had switched to summer.

Celtic Crusaders 2005 2011 Initially based in Bridgend, 2010 and 2011 were played in Wrexham as the Crusaders
South Wales Scorpions 2010 2017 Formed when Crusaders relocated to North Wales and placed in the third tier of (semi) professional RL. The 2017 season was played under the South Wales Ironmen brand before the team was re-branded and relocated for 2018 as West Wales Raiders.
West Wales Raiders 2018 2022 Formed when South Wales Ironmen were re-branded and moved to Llanelli by amateur club Gwendraeth Valley Raiders and renamed West Wales Raiders.Club folded 2022.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Pontypridd Rugby League".
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