Featherstone Lions
Encyclopedia
Featherstone Lions are an amateur rugby league
club from Featherstone
, West Yorkshire
who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division
and the CMS Yorkshire league
Division 3. The under-18 team play in the Gilette National Youth League
.
Their home ground is the Millpond Stadium. They are the town's second side, after Featherstone Rovers
who play in the Championship 1.
Featherstone's first season, 1994-95, was in the CMS Yorkshire league
First Division. At the end of the 1995-96 season, they had won promotion to the Yorkshire League Premier Division and finished 2nd in the table.
They were accepted into National Conference League
Division 2 for the 1996-97 season. In 1997-98, Featherstone Lions won promotion to NCL Division 1 as champions, won the Yorkshire Cup beating Siddal in a bad tempered final at Thrum Hall
and beat Doncaster in the third round of the Challenge Cup
before losing to Hull Kingston Rovers
.
Featherstone reached the fourth round of the Challenge Cup, in 1998-99, after beating Hemel Stags
before playing Super League
side Halifax
.
In 2000-01, Featherstone reached the National Cup Final before losing to Thatto Heath
at Spotland Stadium
, Rochdale
.
The following year, the Lions narrowly avoided relegation but in 2002-03 were promoted to NCL Premier League. However, they were relegated back to NCL Division 1 in their first season and followed this with another relegation back down to NCL Division 2.
Following this double relegation, Featherstone withdrew from National Conference to rebuild the open age team. In 2006, they joined National League Three
which they won a year later under its new name RLC National Division.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
club from Featherstone
Featherstone
Featherstone is a town and civil parish in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It lies south-west of Pontefract and has a population of 14,175.Featherstone railway station is on the Pontefract Line.-History:...
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division
Rugby League Conference National Division
The Rugby League Conference National Division is the highest division in the Rugby League Conference. Between 2003 and 2006, it was known as National League Three.-National League Three:...
and the CMS Yorkshire league
CMS Yorkshire league
The CMS Yorkshire League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
Division 3. The under-18 team play in the Gilette National Youth League
Gilette National Youth League
The Gilette National Youth League is a British rugby league tournament at under-18 level. It was previous known as the Halifax Home Insurance National Youth League.It is the second tier competition at under-18s...
.
Their home ground is the Millpond Stadium. They are the town's second side, after Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers
Featherstone Rovers are a semi-professional rugby league club, based in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England. They currently play in the Championship. The Rovers are one of the last vestiges of "small town teams" that were once common in rugby league during the early twentieth century...
who play in the Championship 1.
History
Featherstone Lions are the result of a merger between Jubilee Hotel and Traveller's amateur sides in the early 1990s.Featherstone's first season, 1994-95, was in the CMS Yorkshire league
CMS Yorkshire league
The CMS Yorkshire League is a series of rugby league divisions in the traditional county of Yorkshire.The league is run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
First Division. At the end of the 1995-96 season, they had won promotion to the Yorkshire League Premier Division and finished 2nd in the table.
They were accepted into National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
Division 2 for the 1996-97 season. In 1997-98, Featherstone Lions won promotion to NCL Division 1 as champions, won the Yorkshire Cup beating Siddal in a bad tempered final at Thrum Hall
Thrum Hall
Thrum Hall was a rugby league stadium on Hanson Lane in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was the home of Halifax RLFC.-Stadium:The site, measuring 55,000 square yards and included a cricket pitch, greyhound track and bowling greens...
and beat Doncaster in the third round of the Challenge Cup
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....
before losing to Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...
.
Featherstone reached the fourth round of the Challenge Cup, in 1998-99, after beating Hemel Stags
Hemel Stags
Hemel Stags are a rugby league team based in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire playing in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference.The club has played in a number of leagues over the years, from the London League, MASWARLA, National Conference League and the Alliance League...
before playing Super League
Super League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
side Halifax
Halifax RLFC
Halifax RLFC is one of the most historic rugby league clubs in the game, formed over a century ago, in 1873 in the Yorkshire town of Halifax. Known as 'Fax', the official club colours are blue and white hoops, blue shorts and blue socks . They share The Shay stadium with football club FC Halifax Town...
.
In 2000-01, Featherstone reached the National Cup Final before losing to Thatto Heath
Thatto Heath Crusaders
Thatto Heath Crusaders is an amateur rugby league club situated in Thatto Heath, St Helens, Merseyside. The club currently competes in the National Conference League Premier division.-History:...
at Spotland Stadium
Spotland Stadium
Spotland Stadium is a sports venue located at Willbutts Lane in the Spotland area of Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It is currently home to Rochdale AFC and Rochdale Hornets RLFC...
, Rochdale
Rochdale
Rochdale is a large market town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the foothills of the Pennines on the River Roch, north-northwest of Oldham, and north-northeast of the city of Manchester. Rochdale is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan...
.
The following year, the Lions narrowly avoided relegation but in 2002-03 were promoted to NCL Premier League. However, they were relegated back to NCL Division 1 in their first season and followed this with another relegation back down to NCL Division 2.
Following this double relegation, Featherstone withdrew from National Conference to rebuild the open age team. In 2006, they joined National League Three
Rugby League Conference National Division
The Rugby League Conference National Division is the highest division in the Rugby League Conference. Between 2003 and 2006, it was known as National League Three.-National League Three:...
which they won a year later under its new name RLC National Division.
Former players
- Tom BriscoeTom BriscoeTom Briscoe is an English professional rugby league footballer for Hull of Super League. An England international representative three-quarter, he has played his whole professional career to date with Hull....
- Jack Briscoe
- Joe WestermanJoe WestermanJoe Westerman, born in Pontefract, England, is a rugby league footballer for Hull in the Super League competition. Joe previously played for Castleford Tigers.-Castleford Tigers:...
- Richard OwenRichard Owen (rugby league)Richard Owen born 25 November 1990 in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, England is a rugby league player for the Castleford Tigers in the European Super League, he also played for Featherstone Lions & Westgate Redoubt in his youth....
- Zak HardakerZak HardakerZak Hardakeris a rugby league player who currently plays for the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. He can play on the wing, Full back, stand-off and has most recently started playing in the centres...