Rochdale Hornets
Encyclopedia
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English
professional rugby league
club from Rochdale
, Greater Manchester
, England
. They currently play in Championship One. Rochdale is also one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union
in 1895, making them one of the world's first rugby league clubs.
men were allowed to join as well. Other clubs quickly followed, among them Rochdale Wasps and Rochdale Juniors.
In 1871, Rochdale Juniors and Rakebank merged to form Rochdale United. On the 20th of April 1871, the directors of Rochdale Wasps, Rochdale United and Rochdale Football Club met at the Roebuck Hotel in the town centre to form a senior team that would represent the town. Rochdale Wasps. Rochdale Butterflies and Rochdale Grasshoppers were suggested as names for the new club before Rochdale Hornets was agreed on. The original team colours were amber and black.
In 1875, Hornets played at Mr R Kershaw's Athletic Grounds in Vavasour Street, and later at the Rochdale Cricket Ground. The club very quickly took a leading position in the game in Lancashire
. Hornets had an open door approach to membership and were able to insist on gate money as they played on an enclosed field.
In June 1879, Rochdale Rovers threw in their lot with the Hornets, and it was in this year that the club first adopted the white jersey. A ground was taken at Oakenrod for the 1879–1880 season but owing to poor gates, Rochdale Hornets returned to the Rochdale Cricket Club ground.
In 1881 no fewer than 57 rugby clubs played in Rochdale and district, fielding 80 teams regularly. By the 1890s, the players were almost all working class.
Rochdale moved to the Athletic Grounds in Milnrow Road, which opened on 9 June 1894. Their first game at their new home took place in September 1894 against Crompton.
They were founder members of the Northern Union
in 1895. Hornets made a poor start under the new regime and finished bottom of the league table, for a good number of years they lost many more matches than they won.
where around £1,000 was raised to help pay for the club's debts. Incidents from the game played on the 22nd of March 1901 resulted in the ground being suspended by the Northern Union
.
The players went on strike on the 29th of March 1902 as empty coffers meant that they went unpaid.
Rochdale Hornets then refused to travel to Dewsbury
on 1 of October 1904 on account of a smallpox
outbreak, and were subsequently fined £20.
Rochdale purchased the Athletics Grounds in 1913. Hornets won the Lancashire County Cup in 1911 and 1914. Between the 10th of October 1914 and the 6th of March 1915, Hornets played 25 games without defeat, shortly after this streak was broken by a defeat to Wigan
but they would finish fourth in the table. Hornets beat Broughton Moor 75-13 in a cup-tie on the 13th of March 1915; it was their biggest margin of victory since 1871. Twenty-five Rochdale players enlisted for the First World War, one of whom, Sergeant Twigg, was killed.
Rugby League came back to Rochdale following the Great War on Christmas Day 1918 when Rochdale played a friendly game. In the half-season of the spring of 1919, Rochdale Hornets not only won the Lancashire League
but also carried off the Lancashire County Cup
.
Rochdale's biggest win against a senior club came on the 27th of March 1920 when Wakefield Trinity
were beaten 64-nil.
The annual Law Cup, then known as the Infirmaries' Cup, was first contested against neighbours Oldham
on the 7th of May 1921. Hornets played six games in a fortnight before falling to their biggest ever defeat 79-2 at the hands of Hull. Hornets changed their colours from green and black to red, white and blue as the green and black strip was deteriorating in the wash.
The club's record attendance was set at 26,664 in 1922 when Oldham were the visitors for a third round Challenge Cup
match. Hornets won the Northern Union Challenge Cup
in 1922 by beating Hull 10-9 at Headingley, Leeds
. That was Hornets' one and only Challenge Cup final. Due to the ferocity of their play, their pack of forwards was known as "the Terrible Six".
Hornets were formed into a limited company on the 31st of May 1929.
On the 4th of October 1930, Stanley Baldwin, Hornets' winger was fatally injured during a match with Oldham
.
Owing to a financial crisis in 1931, the Athletic Ground was offered for sale and all the players put on the transfer list. A fire destroyed the stadium's main stand, dressing rooms and offices on the 18th of September 1935. A new stand, built over the ashes of the old, was opened on Saturday the 7th of March 1936 for the match against Liverpool Stanley. Another financial crisis in 1938 led to further talks about selling the ground and a further crisis in 1939 resulted in the creation of a members' club.
Hornets dropped out of the wartime Lancashire League, their last match a 12-4 defeat against Salford
at the Athletic Grounds on the 11th of May 1940.
(Barrow
or Hull KR
?) which they lost 5-14. The first Infirmaries' Cup game since 1938 was played at the Athletic Grounds on the 24th of August 1946, in which Hornets were beaten by Oldham.
On the 29th of March 1947, Hornets ended a run of 14 consecutive defeats with a 3-0 home win over Halifax
. Hornets played in green and black for the first time in 26 years on the 13th of December 1947 in a match against Wigan. Thereafter they used the colours as a change strip in the event of a colour clash.
In 1947 and 1958, Rochdale Hornets made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, but both times Wigan ended their hopes of a Wembley final.
On the 24th of October 1953, Hornets' second row Ralph Slater was fatally injured in an A-team game at the Athletic Grounds against Oldham A.
Rochdale's highest attendance in a league match was set on Saturday the 16th of October 1954 when Hornets lost 4-18 to local rivals Oldham in front of 19,654 spectators. Hornets played their first game at Spotland
in 1954 when a one-off game against Keighley
was played there.
Rochdale Hornets brought in a Fiji
an contingent in the early 1960s, notably Appi Toga.
In 1965, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup
when a 19,000 crowd saw them lose to Warrington
at Knowsley Road
, St Helens
.
Under the guidance of Frank Myler
and Kel Coslett
Rochdale enjoyed a successful spell in the 1970s. They reached a Players No 6 Final in 1974.
In 1987 both Rochdale Hornets and Rochdale A.F.C.
were in financial trouble. Hornets were banned from signing players in November after failing to pay a transfer fee. Deep in debt, Rochdale accepted Morrisons
£2.7m offer for the Athletic Grounds and following the sale of the land moved to Rochdale A.F.C.
's Spotland
stadium at the end of the 1988 season. The stadium became jointly owned by Hornets, Rochdale Council
and Rochdale A.F.C.
. In October 1988, Rochdale were saved by the local council with a £60,000 loan.
In 1989, Hornets were promoted from the Second Division to the top tier. The club's record attendance at Spotland was set at 8,150 when Hornets played Oldham on Boxing Day
1989.
In September 1990 Neil Holding briefly coached Hornets.
In 1991, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup.
Deryck Fox
became player-coach in May 1998, and made an immediate impact. A ten-match losing sequence was ended as Hornets won at Featherstone Rovers
in Fox's first match in charge. However, Hornets ended that 1998 campaign in next to bottom position in Division One.
In October 1998, Karl Marriott died following a training session and a couple of months later Roy Powell
died in similar circumstances. Hornets struggled early in the campaign when they occupied bottom spot for a couple of weeks. They recovered slightly and had moved up to 15th position, fourth bottom, by late June.
On Wednesday the 30th of June 1999, it was announced that Deryck Fox
was no longer Rochdale's coach. During his thirteen months as Hornets' coach, the club played 38 matches. They won 12, drew one and lost the remaining twenty-five. Bob Eccles
took over as caretaker coach.
Steve Linnane
became head coach in December 1999 but quit in June 2000 to become assistant coach at Super League
club Halifax
.
Steve Deakin, joined Rochdale Hornets as head coach in August 2000 before rejoining Keighley Cougars
as head coach in September 2000 when incumbent Karl Harrison
left to become assistant coach at Bradford Bulls
.
Martin Hall took up the position of coach at Rochdale Hornets in November 2000. He stepped in after the shock resignation of Steve Deakin who returned to Keighley after a few months in charge. He took Rochdale to two consecutive third-place finishes in the Northern Ford Premiership. Hall departed along with all the players after not renewing his contract after his failed bid to take over the club.
Bobbie Goulding
arrived as player-coach in December 2003. He was in charge of Rochdale Hornets for two seasons, twice being nominated for coach of the year. He left in November 2005, citing frustration at the club's financial problems and his lack of a proper contract.
On 13 March 2005, Hornets set an all-time Rugby League record when they defeated the amateur side Illingworth 120-4 in the Challenge Cup. This is the highest score ever achieved by a team in the Cup. http://www.rochdalehornets.com/cgi-bin/story4/20050326151235.shtml The biggest winning margin is still that of Huddersfield
, who beat the amateur side Swinton Park 119-2 in 1914.
Darren Abram
was appointed head coach two weeks later. Abram was dismissed on the 9th of July 2007 after a run of defeats which left the club facing relegation. Shaun Gartland was placed in temporary charge.
Bobbie Goulding was appointed as Rochdale Hornets coach for the second time in September 2007 and relieved of his duties in May 2008 after a run of six consecutive losses.
Darren Shaw
was appointed as Rochdale Hornets coach in May 2008 after a previous spell as assistant coach under Bobbie Goulding in his first spell as player coach in 2003. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/07/09/22/RUGBYL_Rochdale.html
On 13 January 2009, shareholders voted to put Rochdale Hornets into administration after debts ordered by HM Revenue and Customs accumulated £55,000. An Industrial and Provident Society (a co-operative) was created and recognised by the Rugby Football League, and the Hornets were re-founded. The co-operative was initially created around a core of loyal fans, and membership is open to all. The co-op operates on a one-member one-vote principle.
Darren Shaw departed the club at the end of the 2009 season and was replaced by Ex St Helens player John Stankevitch in early November of 2009.
Stankevitch was given the difficult task of recruiting a competitive squad of players from those available that hadn't already been recruited elsewhere and a slow start to the 2010 Northern Rail Cup followed.
However, the club went on to exceed all expectations and finish 5th in the table giving them a play off position for the first time in years. The team were eventually eliminated in the semi finals of the competition.
Stankevitch signed a new contract in July of 2010 in preparation for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and began the clubs re emergance with the re contracting of the majority of his squad.
Stev
This year's match takes place on Friday 2 April at 3pm at the Spotland Stadium in Rochdale.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
professional rugby league
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 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...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They currently play in Championship One. Rochdale is also one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
in 1895, making them one of the world's first rugby league clubs.
Early years - the 19th century
A Rochdale Athletic Club was formed in 1866 and held its first festival on the cricket ground at Merefield. Rugby football first took place as an organised game about 1866 or 1867, when the Rochdale Football Club was formed by a magistrate and numerous business owners and self-employed men. Within a year they were all playing alongside new members when working classWorking class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
men were allowed to join as well. Other clubs quickly followed, among them Rochdale Wasps and Rochdale Juniors.
In 1871, Rochdale Juniors and Rakebank merged to form Rochdale United. On the 20th of April 1871, the directors of Rochdale Wasps, Rochdale United and Rochdale Football Club met at the Roebuck Hotel in the town centre to form a senior team that would represent the town. Rochdale Wasps. Rochdale Butterflies and Rochdale Grasshoppers were suggested as names for the new club before Rochdale Hornets was agreed on. The original team colours were amber and black.
In 1875, Hornets played at Mr R Kershaw's Athletic Grounds in Vavasour Street, and later at the Rochdale Cricket Ground. The club very quickly took a leading position in the game in Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
. Hornets had an open door approach to membership and were able to insist on gate money as they played on an enclosed field.
In June 1879, Rochdale Rovers threw in their lot with the Hornets, and it was in this year that the club first adopted the white jersey. A ground was taken at Oakenrod for the 1879–1880 season but owing to poor gates, Rochdale Hornets returned to the Rochdale Cricket Club ground.
In 1881 no fewer than 57 rugby clubs played in Rochdale and district, fielding 80 teams regularly. By the 1890s, the players were almost all working class.
Rochdale moved to the Athletic Grounds in Milnrow Road, which opened on 9 June 1894. Their first game at their new home took place in September 1894 against Crompton.
They were founder members of the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
in 1895. Hornets made a poor start under the new regime and finished bottom of the league table, for a good number of years they lost many more matches than they won.
Early 20th century
They became tenants of the Athletics Grounds in 1900. Between the 7th and 9 March 1901, a three-day bazaar was held at the town hallRochdale Town Hall
Rochdale Town Hall is a Victorian-era municipal building in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. It is "widely recognised as being one of the finest municipal buildings in the country", and is rated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building...
where around £1,000 was raised to help pay for the club's debts. Incidents from the game played on the 22nd of March 1901 resulted in the ground being suspended by the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
.
The players went on strike on the 29th of March 1902 as empty coffers meant that they went unpaid.
Rochdale Hornets then refused to travel to Dewsbury
Dewsbury Rams
Dewsbury Rams RLFC is a professional rugby league club based in the West Yorkshire town of Dewsbury. They are arguably most famous for becoming Champions in 1972-73 after finishing the regular season in 8th place. In the playoffs they beat Featherstone away, Warrington away, and then Leeds in the...
on 1 of October 1904 on account of a smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
outbreak, and were subsequently fined £20.
Rochdale purchased the Athletics Grounds in 1913. Hornets won the Lancashire County Cup in 1911 and 1914. Between the 10th of October 1914 and the 6th of March 1915, Hornets played 25 games without defeat, shortly after this streak was broken by a defeat to Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
but they would finish fourth in the table. Hornets beat Broughton Moor 75-13 in a cup-tie on the 13th of March 1915; it was their biggest margin of victory since 1871. Twenty-five Rochdale players enlisted for the First World War, one of whom, Sergeant Twigg, was killed.
Rugby League came back to Rochdale following the Great War on Christmas Day 1918 when Rochdale played a friendly game. In the half-season of the spring of 1919, Rochdale Hornets not only won the Lancashire League
Rugby league county leagues
The Yorkshire League and the Lancashire League formed two sections of the Rugby Football League Championship for much of its history. Initially, the 22 clubs that broke away in 1895 played in one combined league, however the following season saw the addition of many clubs, and the League was split...
but also carried off the Lancashire County Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
.
Rochdale's biggest win against a senior club came on the 27th of March 1920 when Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...
were beaten 64-nil.
The annual Law Cup, then known as the Infirmaries' Cup, was first contested against neighbours Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
on the 7th of May 1921. Hornets played six games in a fortnight before falling to their biggest ever defeat 79-2 at the hands of Hull. Hornets changed their colours from green and black to red, white and blue as the green and black strip was deteriorating in the wash.
The club's record attendance was set at 26,664 in 1922 when Oldham were the visitors for a third round 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....
match. Hornets won the Northern Union 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....
in 1922 by beating Hull 10-9 at Headingley, Leeds
Headingley Stadium
Headingley Stadium is a sporting complex in the Leeds suburb of Headingley in West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of Yorkshire County Cricket Club, rugby league team Leeds Rhinos and rugby union team Leeds Carnegie ....
. That was Hornets' one and only Challenge Cup final. Due to the ferocity of their play, their pack of forwards was known as "the Terrible Six".
Hornets were formed into a limited company on the 31st of May 1929.
On the 4th of October 1930, Stanley Baldwin, Hornets' winger was fatally injured during a match with Oldham
Oldham Roughyeds
Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....
.
Owing to a financial crisis in 1931, the Athletic Ground was offered for sale and all the players put on the transfer list. A fire destroyed the stadium's main stand, dressing rooms and offices on the 18th of September 1935. A new stand, built over the ashes of the old, was opened on Saturday the 7th of March 1936 for the match against Liverpool Stanley. Another financial crisis in 1938 led to further talks about selling the ground and a further crisis in 1939 resulted in the creation of a members' club.
Hornets dropped out of the wartime Lancashire League, their last match a 12-4 defeat against Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
at the Athletic Grounds on the 11th of May 1940.
Post war
An appeal went out to supporters in July 1945 for help in renovating the ground, pitch and premises so that rugby league could restart at the Athletic Grounds after the war. On the 25th of August 1945, the Hornets resumed with an away game at Craven ParkCraven Park
There are two rugby league grounds in Britain and an area of London called Craven Park:* Craven Park , home of Barrow * Craven Park, Hull, current home of Hull Kingston Rovers...
(Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
or Hull KR
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...
?) which they lost 5-14. The first Infirmaries' Cup game since 1938 was played at the Athletic Grounds on the 24th of August 1946, in which Hornets were beaten by Oldham.
On the 29th of March 1947, Hornets ended a run of 14 consecutive defeats with a 3-0 home win over 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...
. Hornets played in green and black for the first time in 26 years on the 13th of December 1947 in a match against Wigan. Thereafter they used the colours as a change strip in the event of a colour clash.
In 1947 and 1958, Rochdale Hornets made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup, but both times Wigan ended their hopes of a Wembley final.
On the 24th of October 1953, Hornets' second row Ralph Slater was fatally injured in an A-team game at the Athletic Grounds against Oldham A.
Rochdale's highest attendance in a league match was set on Saturday the 16th of October 1954 when Hornets lost 4-18 to local rivals Oldham in front of 19,654 spectators. Hornets played their first game at Spotland
Spotland
Spotland is a district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Spodden, and is the home of Spotland Stadium.Historically a part of Lancashire, Spotland was formerly its own township within the ancient parish of Rochdale....
in 1954 when a one-off game against Keighley
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
was played there.
Rochdale Hornets brought in a Fiji
Fiji
Fiji , officially the Republic of Fiji , is an island nation in Melanesia in the South Pacific Ocean about northeast of New Zealand's North Island...
an contingent in the early 1960s, notably Appi Toga.
In 1965, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup
Rugby league county cups
Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...
when a 19,000 crowd saw them lose to Warrington
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
at Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road was a stadium located in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home of St Helens RLFC from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hosted Liverpool FC Reserves...
, St Helens
St Helens, Merseyside
St Helens is a large town in Merseyside, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of St Helens with a population of just over 100,000, part of an urban area with a total population of 176,843 at the time of the 2001 Census...
.
Under the guidance of Frank Myler
Frank Myler
Frank Myler was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. He played , or / for Widnes and St. Helens, and also captained the Great Britain national team.Myler also coached Rochdale from May, 1971 to October 1974....
and Kel Coslett
Kel Coslett
Kelvin "Kel" Coslett is a Welsh former rugby footballer and coach. He was a national representative player for Wales in both rugby league and rugby union, a dual-code international.-Rugby union:...
Rochdale enjoyed a successful spell in the 1970s. They reached a Players No 6 Final in 1974.
1980s and early 1990s
In the 1980s, things took a turn for the worse with the crowds virtually disappearing.In 1987 both Rochdale Hornets and Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
were in financial trouble. Hornets were banned from signing players in November after failing to pay a transfer fee. Deep in debt, Rochdale accepted Morrisons
Morrisons
Wm Morrison Supermarkets plc is the fourth largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, headquartered in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The company is usually referred to and is branded as Morrisons formerly Morrison's, and it is part of the FTSE 100 Index of companies...
£2.7m offer for the Athletic Grounds and following the sale of the land moved to Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
's Spotland
Spotland
Spotland is a district of Rochdale in Greater Manchester, England. It lies on the River Spodden, and is the home of Spotland Stadium.Historically a part of Lancashire, Spotland was formerly its own township within the ancient parish of Rochdale....
stadium at the end of the 1988 season. The stadium became jointly owned by Hornets, Rochdale Council
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale
The Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester in North West England. It is named after its largest town, Rochdale, but spans a far larger area which includes the towns of Middleton, Heywood, Littleborough and Milnrow, and the village of Wardle.The borough was...
and Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale A.F.C.
Rochdale Association Football Club is an English professional football club based in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. They play their home matches at Spotland Stadium. Formed in 1907, they were accepted into the Football League in 1921...
. In October 1988, Rochdale were saved by the local council with a £60,000 loan.
In 1989, Hornets were promoted from the Second Division to the top tier. The club's record attendance at Spotland was set at 8,150 when Hornets played Oldham on Boxing Day
Boxing Day
Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...
1989.
In September 1990 Neil Holding briefly coached Hornets.
In 1991, Hornets appeared in the final of the Lancashire Cup.
Summer era
On May 9, 1996, Rochdale sacked their coach, Steve Gibson, after taking just one point from their first six games of the First Division season.Deryck Fox
Deryck Fox
J. Deryck Fox is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Bradford Northern, and...
became player-coach in May 1998, and made an immediate impact. A ten-match losing sequence was ended as Hornets won at 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...
in Fox's first match in charge. However, Hornets ended that 1998 campaign in next to bottom position in Division One.
In October 1998, Karl Marriott died following a training session and a couple of months later Roy Powell
Roy Powell (rugby league)
Roy Colin Powell was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Leeds, Bradford, Featherstone Rovers, Batley, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at , or , i.e. number 8 or 10, or 11 or 12...
died in similar circumstances. Hornets struggled early in the campaign when they occupied bottom spot for a couple of weeks. They recovered slightly and had moved up to 15th position, fourth bottom, by late June.
On Wednesday the 30th of June 1999, it was announced that Deryck Fox
Deryck Fox
J. Deryck Fox is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Bradford Northern, and...
was no longer Rochdale's coach. During his thirteen months as Hornets' coach, the club played 38 matches. They won 12, drew one and lost the remaining twenty-five. Bob Eccles
Bob Eccles
W. Robert "Bob" Eccles is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Warrington, Springfield Borough, and Barrow, playing at , i.e...
took over as caretaker coach.
Steve Linnane
Steve Linnane
Steve Linnane is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s, and coach of the 2000s. After playing club football in the Winfield Cup for St. George and Newcastle, he moved to England where he became coach of Rochdale, Halifax and Hull Kingston Rovers.-Playing career:As a...
became head coach in December 1999 but quit in June 2000 to become assistant coach at 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...
club 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...
.
Steve Deakin, joined Rochdale Hornets as head coach in August 2000 before rejoining Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars
Keighley Cougars are a professional rugby league club from Keighley in West Yorkshire, England. As of 2012 they will play in Co-operative Championship having won the Co-operative Championship 1 play off final 32-12 against Workington...
as head coach in September 2000 when incumbent Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison
Karl Harrison, is an English former rugby league player and coach. He was a player for Hull and Halifax, and also represented Great Britain at prop forward. He won the last of his 14 International caps in 1994. He was the head coach of Salford City Reds rugby league team for five years, before...
left to become assistant coach at Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
.
Martin Hall took up the position of coach at Rochdale Hornets in November 2000. He stepped in after the shock resignation of Steve Deakin who returned to Keighley after a few months in charge. He took Rochdale to two consecutive third-place finishes in the Northern Ford Premiership. Hall departed along with all the players after not renewing his contract after his failed bid to take over the club.
Bobbie Goulding
Bobbie Goulding
Bobbie Goulding is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently the French national team's head coach....
arrived as player-coach in December 2003. He was in charge of Rochdale Hornets for two seasons, twice being nominated for coach of the year. He left in November 2005, citing frustration at the club's financial problems and his lack of a proper contract.
On 13 March 2005, Hornets set an all-time Rugby League record when they defeated the amateur side Illingworth 120-4 in the Challenge Cup. This is the highest score ever achieved by a team in the Cup. http://www.rochdalehornets.com/cgi-bin/story4/20050326151235.shtml The biggest winning margin is still that of Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
, who beat the amateur side Swinton Park 119-2 in 1914.
Darren Abram
Darren Abram
Darren Abram is am English rugby league coach, formerly of Leigh Centurions and Rochdale Hornets.Abram cut his coaching teeth with Chorley Lynx in National League Two and was taken on by Leigh Centurions, with a view to taking them into the Super League, in October 2003. He accomplished this in his...
was appointed head coach two weeks later. Abram was dismissed on the 9th of July 2007 after a run of defeats which left the club facing relegation. Shaun Gartland was placed in temporary charge.
Bobbie Goulding was appointed as Rochdale Hornets coach for the second time in September 2007 and relieved of his duties in May 2008 after a run of six consecutive losses.
Darren Shaw
Darren Shaw
Darren Shaw is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He is the coach of Rochdale Hornets.Before his coaching career, Shaw played for a number of clubs in England and Australia. Shaw played for Brisbane Broncos, London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles, Castleford Tigers and Salford City...
was appointed as Rochdale Hornets coach in May 2008 after a previous spell as assistant coach under Bobbie Goulding in his first spell as player coach in 2003. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rleague/07/09/22/RUGBYL_Rochdale.html
On 13 January 2009, shareholders voted to put Rochdale Hornets into administration after debts ordered by HM Revenue and Customs accumulated £55,000. An Industrial and Provident Society (a co-operative) was created and recognised by the Rugby Football League, and the Hornets were re-founded. The co-operative was initially created around a core of loyal fans, and membership is open to all. The co-op operates on a one-member one-vote principle.
Darren Shaw departed the club at the end of the 2009 season and was replaced by Ex St Helens player John Stankevitch in early November of 2009.
Stankevitch was given the difficult task of recruiting a competitive squad of players from those available that hadn't already been recruited elsewhere and a slow start to the 2010 Northern Rail Cup followed.
However, the club went on to exceed all expectations and finish 5th in the table giving them a play off position for the first time in years. The team were eventually eliminated in the semi finals of the competition.
Stankevitch signed a new contract in July of 2010 in preparation for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and began the clubs re emergance with the re contracting of the majority of his squad.
Coaches
- Frank MylerFrank MylerFrank Myler was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. He played , or / for Widnes and St. Helens, and also captained the Great Britain national team.Myler also coached Rochdale from May, 1971 to October 1974....
(May 1971 - October 1974) - Graham Starkey (October 1974 - November 1975)
- Henry Delooze (November 1975 - November 1976)
- Kel CoslettKel CoslettKelvin "Kel" Coslett is a Welsh former rugby footballer and coach. He was a national representative player for Wales in both rugby league and rugby union, a dual-code international.-Rugby union:...
(November 1976 - August 1979) - Paul Longstaff (September 1979 - May 1981)
- Terry FogertyTerry FogertyTerrence "Terry" H. Fogerty is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s, and coach of the 1980s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Lancashire, and Commonwealth XIII, and at club level for Halifax , Wigan, and Rochdale Hornets, playing...
(May 1981 - January 1982) - Dick Bonser (January 1982 - May 1982)
- Bill Kirkbride (June 1982 - September 1984)
- Charlie Birdsall (September 1984 - April 1986)
- Eric Fitzsimons (June 1986 - June 1987)
- Eric HughesEric HughesEric Hughes was a rugby league footballer for the Widnes Vikings, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and for the Great Britain national side. He unwittingly added confusion to the Canterbury side as he played at the same time as the three Hughes brothers Garry, Graeme and Mark.Hughes coached Rochdale...
(June 1987 - June 1988) - Jim Crellin (June 1988 - June 1989)
- Allan AgarAllan AgarAllan Agar is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. Allan Agar is also the father of Richard Agar.A /, i.e. number 7, he played in the 1972–73 Northern Rugby Football League season's championship final for Dewsbury, helping them to victory....
(July 1989 - January 1991) - Brian JuliffBrian JuliffBrian Juliff is a former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and '80s who at club level has played rugby union for Newport RFC, and Pontypridd RFC, playing at Wing, i.e. number 11 or 14, and at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level...
- Allan Agar's assistant 1 game in January 1991 (42-0 at Castleford) - Neil HoldingNeil HoldingNeil A. Holding is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s, '80s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England, and Lancashire, and at club level for St. Helens, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at /, i.e...
(January (1991 - April 1991) - Stan Gittins (April 1991 - January 1993)
- Peter Regan (January 1993 - October 1993)
- Steve GibsonSteve GibsonSteve Gibson is a computer enthusiast, software engineer and security researcher who studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. Gibson currently lives in Laguna Hills, California...
(October 1993 - May 1996) - Shane Tupaea (May 1996 - April 1998)
- Deryck FoxDeryck FoxJ. Deryck Fox is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, Western Suburbs Magpies, Bradford Northern, and...
(May 1988 - June 1999) - Bob EcclesBob EcclesW. Robert "Bob" Eccles is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s, and coach of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Warrington, Springfield Borough, and Barrow, playing at , i.e...
- Steve LinnaneSteve LinnaneSteve Linnane is an Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s, and coach of the 2000s. After playing club football in the Winfield Cup for St. George and Newcastle, he moved to England where he became coach of Rochdale, Halifax and Hull Kingston Rovers.-Playing career:As a...
(December 1999 - June 2000) - Steve Deakin (August 2000 - October 2000)
- Martin Hall (November 2000 - November 2003)
- Bobbie GouldingBobbie GouldingBobbie Goulding is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently the French national team's head coach....
(December 2003 - November 2005) - Darren AbramDarren AbramDarren Abram is am English rugby league coach, formerly of Leigh Centurions and Rochdale Hornets.Abram cut his coaching teeth with Chorley Lynx in National League Two and was taken on by Leigh Centurions, with a view to taking them into the Super League, in October 2003. He accomplished this in his...
(November 2005 - July 2007) - Shaun Gartland (July 2007 - September 2007)
- Bobbie GouldingBobbie GouldingBobbie Goulding is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is currently the French national team's head coach....
(September 2007 - May 2008) - Darren ShawDarren ShawDarren Shaw is an Australian former rugby league footballer and coach. He is the coach of Rochdale Hornets.Before his coaching career, Shaw played for a number of clubs in England and Australia. Shaw played for Brisbane Broncos, London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles, Castleford Tigers and Salford City...
(May 2008 - October 2009) - John StankevitchJohn StankevitchJohn Stankevitch is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 2000s. He played for St Helens and Widnes in the European Super League as a and as a . Since retiring through a serious shoulder and neck injury, he has had two stints at Widnes as assistant and a head coach role at Doncaster...
(October 2009–Present)
Stev
The Law Cup
The Law Cup is an annual match between Oldham and Rochdale Hornets, first contrested on the 7th of May 1921. Including the 2008 fixture, Oldham have won 36 to Rochdale's 22 with 3 drawn games.http://www.rochdalehornets.com/cgi-bin/story4/20071221094352.shtmlThis year's match takes place on Friday 2 April at 3pm at the Spotland Stadium in Rochdale.
2011 Squad
| No | Nat | |Player | Position | Former Club | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
Wayne English | Full Back | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 2 | |
Craig Johnson | Wing | Rochdale Hornets | |
| 3 | |
Dean Gorton | Centre | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 4 | |
Matt Strong | Centre | Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
|
| 5 | |
Scott Yates | Wing | Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
|
| 6 | |
Liam McGovern | Stand Off | Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in... |
|
| 7 | |
Steven Roper | Half Back | Workington Town Workington Town Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.... |
|
| 8 | |
Dave Newton | Prop | ||
| 9 | |
Phil Wood | Hooker | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 10 | |
Adam Bowman | Prop | Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
|
| 11 | |
Craig Ashall Craig Ashall Craig Ashall was a professional rugby league footballer who played professionally for St. Helens in the Super League but now plays at a semi-professional capacity with the Swinton Lions in Championship One. He is by preference a stand-off but can also play at loose-forward... |
Second Row | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 12 | |
Danny Smith | Second Row | Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
|
| 13 | |
Dayne Donoghue | Loose Forward | Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward... |
|
| 14 | |
Ryan Powell | Hooker | Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in... |
|
| 15 | |
Paul Crook | Centre | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 16 |  |
Danny Samuel | Second Row | Batley Bulldogs Batley Bulldogs Batley Bulldogs are an English professional rugby league club from Batley, West Yorkshire. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Batley is one of the original twenty-two rugby football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895... |
|
| 17 | |
Dale Bloomfield | Stand Off | St Helens | |
| 18 | |
John Cookson | Prop | Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in... |
|
| 19 | |
Gareth Hayes | Prop | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 20 | |
Chris Clough | Hooker | ||
| 21 | |
Mark Hobson | Second Row | Workington Town Workington Town Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team.... |
|
| 22 |  |
Damien Reid Damien Reid Damien Reid is a professional rugby league footballer, who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Gateshead Thunder, Barrow Raiders, Castleford Tigers, Widnes Vikings, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at , i.e. number 3 or 4.... |
Centre | ||
| 23 | |
Chris Hough | Prop | ||
| 24 | |
Dave Kennedy | Second Row | ||
| 25 | |
Andy Saywell | Wing | Swinton Lions Swinton Lions Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:... |
|
| 26 | |
Andy Taylor | Full Back | Rochdale Mayfield |
Players earning international caps while at Rochdale Hornets
- Vic ArmbrusterVic ArmbrusterLouis Victor "Vic" Armbruster was an Australian rugby league footballer for New South Wales, Queensland and Australia. He is considered one of the nation's finest footballers of the 20th century...
won caps for Australia while at ToowoombaToowoomba ClydesdalesThe Toowoomba Clydesdales are a rugby league football club based in Toowoomba, Queensland, named after the Scottish horse breed. They played in the Queensland Wizard Cup since the competition began in 1996 but no longer play in this competition....
in 1928 against Great Britain (3 matches), and won caps for Other NationsOther Nationalities rugby league teamThe Other Nationalities rugby league team regularly played international, and also county, rugby league football teams in Europe from 1904 to 1975. The team, created in 1904 to play England in the first ever rugby league international match, was at first made up of Welsh and Scottish players...
while at Rochdale in 1933 against England - John "Johnnie" BaxterJohn Baxter (rugby league)John "Johnnie" Baxter was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, playing at /, or /, i.e...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1904 Other Nations, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1908 New Zealand - John "Jack" BennettJohn Bennett (rugby league)John "Jack" Bennett is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s and '30s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, and Wigan, playing at , i.e...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1924 Other Nations, 1925 Wales, while at WiganWigan WarriorsWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
1926 Wales, Other Nations, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1924 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (3 matches), while at WiganWigan WarriorsWigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
1926 New Zealand - Peter Birchall (#8) Great Britain Under 24's 1965. Also played for Bradford, Huddersfield and St Helens. Founder member and currently Chairman Rochdale Hornets Ex-Players Association.
- Joseph "Joe" BowersJoseph Bowers (rugby league)Joseph "Joe" Bowers is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level has played for Great Britain and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, playing at , i.e...
won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1920 New Zealand - Edward "Ted" CahillEdward Cahill (rugby league)Edward "Ted" Cahill is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for the Rochdale Hornets, playing at , i.e...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1953 Wales, France, Other Nations, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1952–56 France (non-TestTest match (rugby league)A Test match in rugby league football is a representative match between teams representing members of the Rugby League International Federation.The definition of a Test match differs from that of an international match...
) - David "Dai" EdwardsDai EdwardsDavid "Dai" Edwards was an international rugby forward who played rugby union for Glynneath and rugby league with Rochdale Hornets...
won caps for Wales while at Rochdale in 1923 against England, and in 1925 against England
- Terrence "Terry" FogertyTerry FogertyTerrence "Terry" H. Fogerty is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s, and coach of the 1980s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Lancashire, and Commonwealth XIII, and at club level for Halifax , Wigan, and Rochdale Hornets, playing...
represented Commonwealth XIII while at Halifax in 1965 against New Zealand at Crystal Palace National Recreation Centre, London on Wednesday 18 August 1965, and won caps for Great Britain while at Halifax in 1966 against New Zealand, while at Wigan in 1967 against France, and while at Rochdale in 1974 against France - Norman HarrisNorman HarrisNorman Harris was an American guitarist, producer, arranger and songwriter associated with Philly soul. He was a founding member of MFSB and one-third of the production trio of Baker-Harris-Young...
won caps for Wales while at Oldham, and Rochdale Hornets 1947–1953 7-caps - J. Harris or Thomas "Tommy" HarrisThomas Harris (rugby league)Thomas "Tommy" Harris is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets.-International honours:...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1924 Other Nations - Eynon HawkinsEynon HawkinsEynon Hawkins is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Salford, and Rochdale Hornets....
won caps for Wales while at Salford, and Rochdale Hornets 1949–1953 6-caps - John HennesseyJohn Hennessey (rugby league)John Hennessey is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets.-International honours:...
won a cap for Wales while at Rochdale Hornets 1925 1-cap - Ernie JenkinsErnie JenkinsErnie Jenkins was a Welsh international dual-code international rugby player. He played club rugby union predominantly for Newport and later switched codes by joining rugby league team Rochdale Hornets...
won caps for Wales while at Rochdale 1910, 1911, 1912 England, 1911 Australia - Ernest JonesErnest Jones (rugby league)Ernest W. Jones was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s and '20s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, playing at /, i.e. number 6.-International honours:Ernest W...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1913 Wales, 1914 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1920 Australia, New Zealand (3 matches)
- Cecil "Cec" Kelly http://www.rugbyleague.org/features/content.php?feat_id=273&featcat_id=32 (#7) won caps for Other NationsOther Nationalities rugby league teamThe Other Nationalities rugby league team regularly played international, and also county, rugby league football teams in Europe from 1904 to 1975. The team, created in 1904 to play England in the first ever rugby league international match, was at first made up of Welsh and Scottish players...
while at Rochdale Hornets circa-1951 ?-caps - Stanley LangshawStanley LangshawStanley Langshaw was an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets.-International honours:Stanley Langshaw won a cap for England while at Rochdale in 1925 against...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1925 Wales - Bernard McNallyBernard McNally (rugby league)Bernard McNally is a Welsh former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets.-International honours:...
won a cap for Wales while at Rochdale Hornets 1953 1-cap - Wickham James "Wick" Powell won a cap for Other Nationalities while at Rochdale Hornets in 1921
- Gareth PriceGareth PriceGareth Price, born 26th August, 1980 in Swansea, Wales is a Welsh international rugby league player.Gareth Price plays for the Widnes Vikings in National League One.Price's position of choice is at prop forward....
won caps for Wales while at St. Helens, Leigh, Rochdale Hornets, and Celtic Crusaders 1999–present 2(9, 10?)-caps + 9-caps (sub) 1-try 4-points - Malcolm PriceMalcolm PriceMalcolm John Price is a Welsh former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level has played rugby union for British Lions, and Wales, and at club level for Pontypool RFC, playing at Centre, i.e...
won caps for WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
(RU) while at Pontypool RFCPontypool RFCPontypool Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in the town of Pontypool. Pontypool RFC has a long history within Welsh rugby and is one of the most notable clubs, being present at the formation of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1881, but disbanding before the turn of the 19th century...
(RU) 1959-62 9-Caps, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1967 Australia (2 matches) - John "Jack" RobinsonJack Robinson (rugby league)Jack E. Robinson was a professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, playing at , i.e...
won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale in 1914 against Australia (2 matches) - Walter RomanWalter Roman (rugby league)Walter Roman was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s who at representative level played for England, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets.-International honours:...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1914 Wales
- Derrick SchofieldDerrick SchofieldDerrick Schofield was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at representative level played for Great Britain, England, and Lancashire, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets , Halifax, Castleford and Dewsbury, playing at , or , i.e...
won caps for England while at Rochdale 1952 Wales, 1953 France, and won caps for Great Britain while at HalifaxHalifax RLFCHalifax 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...
1955 New Zealand - Byron SmithByron SmithByron Smith is a rugby league player for the Batley Bulldogs in National League One. He plays as a prop and can operate in the second-row. He has previously played for the Castleford Tigers in the European Super League...
won caps for Wales while at Castleford, and Rochdale Hornets 2005–2007 4(3?)-caps (sub) - Ian WatsonIan Watson (rugby league)Ian Watson is a Welsh former rugby league footballer who played at /, or . He is currently assistant coach for Swinton in the Championship...
won caps for Wales while at Salford, Swinton, Widnes, Rochdale Hornets, Oldham and Leigh 1996–present 19(17?)-caps + 3-caps (sub) 3(4?)-tries 1-goal 14(18?)-points - Thomas "Tommy" Woods won caps for England while at Rochdale 1911 Australia, 1912 Wales, 1913 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Rochdale 1911 Australia, 1912 Australia.
Other notable players
- Kevin AshcroftKevin AshcroftKevin Ashcroft is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s, and coach of the 1970s, '80s, and '90s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, Dewsbury, Leigh, Warrington, and Salford, playing at , or , i.e...
- William "Willie" H. AspinallWillie AspinallWilliam "Willie" H. Aspinall is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Warrington, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at /, i.e...
- Gregory "Greg" Austin (#3/#5)
- Cecil 'The Red Flyer' AynsleyCecil AynsleyCecil "The Red Flyer" Aynsley was an Australian rugby league footballer of the 1920s and 30s. A Queensland state and Australian representative winger, and talented goal-kicker he scored a try in each of his four national representative appearances....
, for Australia while at Brisbane Western SuburbsWests PanthersThe Western Suburbs Panthers, often simply referred to as Wests, are a rugby league club from Brisbane, Australia. The Club is the oldest in the QRL and despite absences from the top grade in recent years and several name changes the club continued to operate...
1924 Great Britain x 3; 1928 Great Britain - Philip "Phil" Bancroft
- Marlon Billy (#5)
- Norman Brelsford (#2)
- John Butler (#6)
- Matt CallandMatt CallandMatt Calland is the head coach at Halifax RLFC. He has played at Featherstone Rovers, Bradford Bulls, Rochdale Hornets and has been capped by England. Matt was named the assistant coach at Halifax in June 2006. Martin Hall moved upstairs in October to take up the post of director of football...
- Glenn Cannon (#13)
- Neil CowieNeil CowieNeil Cowie is an English born Welsh former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Rochdale Hornets, and Wigan Warriors, playing at , i.e...
- Brian Dunn (#11)
- Voate Drui represented Commonwealth XIII while at Rochdale Hornets in 1965 against New Zealand at Crystal Palace National Recreation CentreCrystal Palace National Sports CentreThe National Sports Centre at Crystal Palace in south London, England is a large sports centre and athletics stadium. It was opened in 1964 in Crystal Palace Park, close to the site of the former Crystal Palace, in the former parkland and also usurping part of the former grand prix circuit.It was...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on Wednesday 18 August 1965, - Philip "Phil" Fox (#2)
- Peter Gartland
- Martin Hall
- Trevor Hall http://www.saints.org.uk/saints.org.uk/home/viewpage.php?page_id=10&num=15494 From St Helens circa-1932
- Anthony "Tony" Halmshaw
- Kevin Harcombe (#1)
- Jeffrey "Jeff" Heaton (#7)
- Cavell Heugh (#10)
- Sydney HinamSydney HinamSydney Hinam was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Cardiff RFC, and Glamorgan Police RFC, playing at Flanker, i.e...
- Alan Hodgkinson (Testimonial matchTestimonial matchA testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....
1980) - Mike LeadbetterMike LeadbetterMike Leadbetter was a rugby union international who represented England in 1970.-Early life:Mike Leadbetter was born on July 25, 1946 in Southport. Mike was the elder of two brothers, and his family is one with deep roots in the Southport area, predating the construction of Southport itself...
- Philip "Phil" McKenzie (#9)
- Karl Marriott
- Robert "Bob" Marsden
- William "Billy" John MooreBilly Moore (rugby player)Billy Moore was a Welsh international dual-code rugby player who played rugby union for Bridgend RFC and rugby league for Rochdale Hornets. He was capped only once for Wales under the union code, for a match in the 1933 Home Nations Championship.-References:...
- Mark NixonMark NixonMark Byron Nixon is a New Zealand former rugby league player who represented his country in two tests, including a match counting towards the 1992 World Cup.-Playing career:...
(#4) - J. Nolan 1888 British Isles tourist1888 British Lions tour to New Zealand and AustraliaThe 1888 British Isles tour to New Zealand and Australia was a series of rugby union games played by an unofficial British team against invitational teams in New Zealand and Australia...
(RU) - Roy PowellRoy Powell (rugby league)Roy Colin Powell was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and '90s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and at club level for Leeds, Bradford, Featherstone Rovers, Batley, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at , or , i.e. number 8 or 10, or 11 or 12...
, for Great Britain while at LeedsLeeds RhinosLeeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
13+6-caps 1985–91 - Anthony "Tony" Pratt
- Alan RobinsonAlan Robinson (rugby league)Alan Robinson is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Ireland, and at club level for Limoux Grizzlies, and Coventry Bears.-International honours:...
- Aaron Sawyer (#7)
- Danny SculthorpeDanny SculthorpeDanny Sculthorpe is an English professional rugby league footballer. Born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, he currently plays as a prop for Widnes Vikings....
- William "Billy" Sheffield
- Paul Smith (#12)
- David Taylor
- Edward "Eddie" Tees (#1)
- Apisai Toga
- John WoodsJohn Woods (rugby league)John Woods is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s, '80s and '90s, and coach of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Leigh , Bradford Northern, Warrington, and Rochdale Hornets, playing at , or /, i.e...