Sheffield Eagles
Encyclopedia
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English 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 based in the South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...

 city of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

 after leaving Don Valley Stadium
Don Valley Stadium
The Don Valley Stadium is a stadium in Sheffield, England and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.. The stadium is an athletics stadium which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed by...

 in late 2009.

Foundation

In 1982 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....

 captain and Chairman of the Players’ Union, Gary Hetherington missed out on a coaching job at York
York City Knights
York City Knights Rugby League Club is a British professional rugby league club hailing from York. They play at the Huntington Stadium, situated to the north of York city centre...

. He decided to form his own club based in Sheffield. The original plan to enter the Second Division in 1983–84 fell apart when Sheffield United pulled back from their promise to let the new team play its home games at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

.

The club eventually joined the Second Division in 1984 and played at the Owlerton Stadium
Owlerton Stadium
Owlerton Stadium, sometimes referred to as Sheffield Sports Stadium, is a greyhound racing track in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The stadium is also home to the Sheffield Tigers Speedway team and hosts BriSCA Formula One stock car racing events. It is operated...

. A competition was run in the Sheffield Star
Sheffield Star
The Star, often known as the Sheffield Star is a daily newspaper published in Sheffield, England, from Monday to Saturday each week. Originally a broadsheet, the newspaper became a tabloid in 1989...

 newspaper to find a name for the new club and "Sheffield Eagles" was the winner. The first Eagles league game was on 2 September 1984 when they beat Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...

 29–10. The match took place the day after the club’s sponsor went bust. Hetherington was both manager and player in the first season, building the team using experienced players from traditional areas. He also began signing up promising young players, one of whom was Mark Aston
Mark Aston
Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

, later to be a critical part of the Eagles' survival as a club.

By November the club was close to folding because of financial problems. Sheffield beat 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...

 to set up a John Player Special Trophy first round tie against Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds 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...

. This lucrative game generated enough cash to see out the season.

Progress

On the field the club progressed steadily, improving their league position until in 1988/89 they finished third in the league table and made it to the Second Division Premiership final at Old Trafford
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

. In the final they outplayed Swinton
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:...

, beating them by 43–18 and gaining promotion to the top flight of 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...

. Sheffield's record attendance at Owlerton was set at 3,636 for a third round Challenge Cup game against 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....

 in 1989.

In the wake of the Hillsborough disaster
Hillsborough disaster
The Hillsborough disaster was a human crush that occurred on 15 April 1989 at Hillsborough, a football stadium, the home of Sheffield Wednesday F.C. in Sheffield, England, resulting in the deaths of 96 people, and 766 being injured, all fans of Liverpool F.C....

, stadium safety became an issue in British sport and Owlerton was declared unfit to stage professional rugby league. Eagles were forced to play their home games at seven different venues including Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium
Hillsborough Stadium is the home of Sheffield Wednesday football club, Sheffield, England. Football has been played at the ground since it was opened on 2 September 1899, when Wednesday moved from their original ground at Olive Grove. Today it is a 39,812 capacity all-seater stadium, making it the...

, Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

, Recreation Ground
Recreation Ground (Chesterfield)
Saltergate, officially the Recreation Ground, is the historic home of Chesterfield Football Club, and was in use from 1871 until the club's relocation in July 2010, a 139 year history that made it one of the oldest football grounds in England at the time of its closure...

, Oakwell Stadium
Oakwell Stadium
Oakwell is a multi-purpose sports development in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England used primarily by Barnsley Football Club for playing their home fixtures, and those of their reserves....

 and Belle Vue
Belle Vue (Wakefield)
Belle Vue is a rugby league stadium in Wakefield, England. It is the home stadium of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. It is located beside the A638 Doncaster Road, approximately one mile south of Wakefield City Centre.- Description :Currently, the East stand has a covered stand with seating, with some...

. They survived one season in the top flight but were then relegated.

This was a temporary decline as they immediately regained their place in the First Division, winning the Second Division title and Premiership. The Eagles slowly established themselves as a top flight club.

Finally in 1991 the World Student Games was held in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 and the newly built Don Valley Stadium
Don Valley Stadium
The Don Valley Stadium is a stadium in Sheffield, England and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.. The stadium is an athletics stadium which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed by...

 became home for the club. In 1992 they reached the Yorkshire Cup final, losing to 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...

.

Sheffield was included on the schedule for a game against the Kangaroos during their 1994 Kangaroo Tour
1994 Kangaroo Tour
The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the last played in the conventional format, where the Australian side plays a number of matches against British and French clubs or provincial outfits, in additions to the Test matches...

 and were hammered 80–2 in the first game following the first test match at Wembley.

When a Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....

-funded Super League competition was first proposed, part of the deal was that some traditional clubs would merge. Sheffield were to merge with Doncaster to form a South Yorkshire club that would compete in Super League. This, along with other proposed mergers, were strongly opposed by supporters and never materialised. As Sheffield Eagles the club became a founder member of Super League in 1996 and took part in the first game of the European 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...

 era against Paris Saint-Germain.

In November 1996, coach and chief executive Gary Hetherington sold his controlling interest in Sheffield Eagles in order to take over Leeds
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds 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...

. Phil Larder
Phil Larder
Phil Larder MBE , is an English rugby league and rugby union coach.After graduating with a degree in Physical Education and Sports Science from Loughborough University in 1965, he played rugby union at centre for Broughton Park in Manchester and then Sale...

 became head coach, Paul Thompson, Chairman of Sanderson Electronics, became the majority shareholder and Eagles plc became the first rugby league club to be floated on the Stock Exchange.

John Kear
John Kear
John Kear is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league player. Kear is currently the coach of Batley Bulldogs...

 took over the coaching reigns at Sheffield Eagles in 1997, taking them to the Premiership Semi Final in that year. Eagles became the first English team to beat an Australian team on English soil in the World Club Challenge
World Club Challenge
The World Club Challenge is an annual rugby league football match held between the champions of the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League competitions to determine the world's best rugby league club...

 in 1997. The club's record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw Sheffield play Bradford Northern
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....

.

Wembley 1998

2 May 1998 is the greatest day in the history of the Sheffield Eagles. Having beaten Leigh
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...

, Egremont
Egremont, Cumbria
Egremont is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Copeland in Cumbria, England, south of Whitehaven and on the River Ehen. The town, which lies at the foot of Uldale Valley and Dent Fell, was historically within Cumberland and has a long industrial heritage including dyeing, weaving and...

, Castleford
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...

 and 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...

 the Eagles faced 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....

 at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium
The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

 in the final of the Rugby League 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....

. Wigan were overwhelming favourites with a side containing some of the best players of the modern era, including Andy Farrell, Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...

 and Henry Paul
Henry Paul
Henry Paul , is a dual code rugby international. Paul has previously represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union XV's and 7's. He currently holds the world record for the most consecutive kicks on the field.Paul's usual position is loose forward/Lock. He can also operate in...

. Sheffield coach John Kear
John Kear
John Kear is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league player. Kear is currently the coach of Batley Bulldogs...

 devised a game plan that was executed perfectly by the team on the day. Star of the show was scrum half Mark Aston
Mark Aston
Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

, who won the Lance Todd Trophy
Lance Todd Trophy
The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...

 as man of the match. The Eagles led from start to finish, running out 17–8 winners in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.

Merger

Just as the club seemed to be on the verge of its greatest period, following the win in the cup final, things began to go wrong. The expected increase in attendances did not happen and the team did not perform well, finishing close to the relegation zone only one year after the Wembley triumph. Finances plummeted and with little outside help it became apparent that the Eagles were not viable in their current state. Just a year after performing the greatest upset in Challenge Cup history, the Eagles announced that they were to fold at the end of the season should no investors come on board to save the club.

In late 1999 the Rugby Football League
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...

 wanted to lower the number of clubs in Super League. One of the measures they put in place was the option for two clubs to merge for the sum of £1,000,000. Fearing this was the only way to keep rugby league alive in Sheffield, the club accepted an offer from the RFL to merge with another struggling team, the Huddersfield Giants
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....

, making a new team Huddersfield/Sheffield Giants, who were scheduled to play games in both Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

 and Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....

 in Super League V
Super League V
-Wide to West:St Helens, who finished second in the regular season table, hosted Bradford Bulls for the qualifying play-off in week one of the play-offs. One of Super League's most well known tries was scored in the final seconds of the match. Bradford led the game 11–10 into the final minute when,...

. The Huddersfield / Sheffield side's away strip was in the Sheffield Eagles colours. The merged Huddersfield/Sheffield team did not last the season before reverting to the Huddersfield name. The main reason for this was the lack of acceptance of the new venture by both sets of supporters, but in particular in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...

, where the two games played at Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

 attracted pitiful attendances. The merger between Huddersfield and Sheffield is generally regarded as one of the biggest and most embarrassing farces in the history of British rugby league and the team recorded only four wins all season, three of them against Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
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...

. Some fans still blame Huddersfield for the demise of the Sheffield Eagles, who were a very popular club at the time, and their rivals often taunt Huddersfield with the 'Shuddersfield' name.

Between the end of the 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...

 season and the start of the next semi-professional season (only 3 months) legendary player Mark Aston
Mark Aston
Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

 reformed the Eagles from scratch with the support of the Super League clubs and 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....

 and entered the Northern Ford Premiership taking Bramley
Bramley Buffaloes
Bramley Buffaloes is a rugby league club from the Bramley area of West Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. Previously known simply as Bramley RLFC, the club is a famous name in rugby league, having existed prior to the formation of the Northern Union in 1895...

's vacated place.

Rebirth

From 1999 to the present the Eagles have played in the semi-professional leagues
Rugby League National Leagues
The Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...

, first the Northern Ford Premiership and then the second division of the LHF Healthplan National League
Rugby League National Leagues
The Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...

. Mark Aston
Mark Aston
Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

 assumed the role of player manager, continuing on the field until 2004, when he officially retired from playing. After the 2004 season Mark replaced his father Brian as Chief Executive, bringing in a new head coach in Gary Wilkinson
Gary Wilkinson (rugby league)
Gary Wilkinson is an English rugby league coach who was recently head coach of the Sheffield Eagles and subsequently in temporary charge of Doncaster RLFC...

 at the end of the following year. As soon as the new club was reformed, it vowed to never overstretch its finances to achieve success. This made life difficult as the Eagles were denied the money received by other clubs in the NFP for TV rights as part of the deal that allowed them to re-enter the professional leagues.

2003 brought two club records; Sheffield suffered their record defeat on 2 February 2003 0–88 to Hull. However on 3 August 2003, London Skolars were the victims as Sheffield Eagles won
98–4, a record victory. In 2003 the team finished top of National League Two and reached the Grand Final, agonisingly losing 13–11 to the 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...

. Victory would have sent the Eagles into National League One, but this was not to be and a second play-off against the 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...

 ended in failure for the demoralised squad.

Until 2006 the team struggled to match this effort, with key players retiring or being signed by bigger clubs – young players Mitchell Stringer and Andy Raleigh
Andy Raleigh
Andy Raleigh is an English rugby league player from Huddersfield. He currently plays in Super League for Huddersfield Giants. He plays as a or as a ....

 went on to sign for 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...

 clubs. At the start of the 2006 season Gary Wilkinson
Gary Wilkinson (rugby league)
Gary Wilkinson is an English rugby league coach who was recently head coach of the Sheffield Eagles and subsequently in temporary charge of Doncaster RLFC...

 was brought in as coach and the team finished in second place, qualifying for the play-offs for the right to join champions Dewsbury Rams
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...

 in National League One. On 22 September 2006 they beat the Crusaders at the Don Valley Stadium
Don Valley Stadium
The Don Valley Stadium is a stadium in Sheffield, England and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.. The stadium is an athletics stadium which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed by...

 to qualify for the Grand Final for a second time. In the Grand Final on October 8 they beat 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:...

 35–10 to be promoted to National League One. To the surprise of many Wilkinson resigned as head coach on 15 October 2006, citing personal reasons.

National League One was seen as a springboard to a potential return to Super League, although this would be dependent on the RFL's continuation of the franchising
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....

 or licensing system. As Sheffield Eagles' chairman Ian Swire, remarked, after the 2006 Grand Final victory, "We showed on Sunday that we can compete, and that in the near- to not-too-distant future we will get back into Super League".

The 2007 season started slowly for the promoted team but ended with the Eagles defying the bookmakers, who had them as favourites for relegation, by finishing 6th in the league table and qualifying for the play-offs, where they lost a close game to 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 2008 the Eagles consolidated their position in National League 1, although they missed the play-offs by one place. Both Jack Howieson (Scotland) and Ged Corcoran (Ireland) represented their countries at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since the inauguration of the tournament in 1954, and the first since the 2000 event...

.

In 2009 National League 1 was renamed the Co-operative Championship. The Eagles finished third in the table narrowly missing out on 2nd place. In the play-offs they were expected to easily beat Featherstone Rovers in the first match at Don Valley Stadium. However Rovers surprised many by winning, ending Sheffield's season at the first play-off hurdle.

On 16 October 2009, the Eagles announced they would be moving their home games from the start of the 2010 season to Bramall Lane
Bramall Lane
-Cricket at the Lane:Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground in 1855, having been leased by Michael Ellison from the Duke of Norfolk at an annual rent of £70. The site was then away from the town's industrial area, and relatively free from smoke. It was built to host the matches of local cricket...

, home of Sheffield United in a bid to increase attendances and atmosphere at games which now take place on Sunday afternoons. The Eagles moved to Bramall Lane on 11 April 2010, losing by 40–16 to Featherstone Rovers. The attendance of 2,871 was 3 times the average the Eagles achieved at Don Valley Stadium and the club hope to push on from there to achieve a Super League licence. The 2010 season saw the club finish in 6th place, making the play-offs and surprising both 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...

 and Barrow Raiders
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....

 with away victories before falling to eventual champions Halifax RLFC
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...


2011 season

The Eagles failed to reach the quarter finals of the Northern Rail Cup, losing to Hunslet and Leigh, drawing with Whitehaven and beating Gateshead in the pool stage.

After beating Leeds Met University 84–0 in the Challenge Cup 3rd round, the Eagles were drawn away to Super League side St Helens in which the Eagles lost 52–26.

In the Co-operative Championship the Eagles bettered their final league place, finishing in 4th place, above Super League bound Widnes Vikings and last year's Grand Final winners Halifax RLFC.

In the first round of the play-offs the Eagle knocked out Widnes Vikings, beating them for their first time since their reformation, winning 36-20.

2011 squad

Honours

  • Rugby League 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....

    : 1998
  • Division Two Championship: 1991–92
  • Second Division/Divisional Premiership: 1988–89, 1991–92 (2 times)
  • Tolent Cup: 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 (5 times)
  • South Yorkshire Cup: 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008 (4 times)
  • Northern Ford Premiership Club of the Year: 2001
  • Wigan Sevens: 1989–90
  • National League Two Play-off Champions
    Rugby League National Leagues
    The Championship, known as Co-operative Championship due to sponsorship by The Co-operative Group, is a professional rugby league competition based in the United Kingdom. It is currently contested by ten teams from England. It acts as Europe's second-tier competition below the Super League, and has...

    : 2006

Players earning International Caps while at Sheffield

  • Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

     won caps for Great Britain while at Sheffield 1991 France
  • Frédéric Banquet http://www.totalrl.com/onthisday/index.php?feat_id=268 won caps for France while at Sheffield 1995 ?-caps
  • Paul Broadbent
    Paul Broadbent
    Paul "Beans" Broadbent is an English former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s, and coach of the 2000s and 2010s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Sheffield Eagles, Halifax, Hull, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, and York City...

     won caps for England while at Sheffield 1995 France, Fiji, South Africa (sub), 1996 France, Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Sheffield 1996 Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Zealand (3 matches), 1997 ASL
    Super League (Australia)
    Super League was an Australian rugby league football administrative body that conducted professional competition in Australasia for one season in 1997. Along with Super League of Europe, it was created by News Corporation during the Super League war which arose following an unsuccessful attempt to...

     (3 matches)
  • Anthony Farrell
    Anthony Farrell
    Anthony Farrell was an English/Welsh rugby league player. He played for England, Wales, Huddersfield Giants, Sheffield Eagles, Leeds Rhinos, Widnes Vikings and Halifax, playing at , or ....

     won caps for England while at Sheffield 1995 Wales, while at Leeds
    Leeds Rhinos
    Leeds 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...

     1999 France (2 matches)

  • Lee Jackson won caps for England 1995 France, Australia (2 matches), Fiji, Wales, and won caps for Great Britain 1993 New Zealand (2 matches), 1994 France, Australia (3 matches)
  • John "Johnny" Lawless
    Johnny Lawless
    John "Johnny" Lawless is a former rugby league player.Lawless was an Ireland international and played at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.-Challenge Cup final appearances:...

     won caps for England while at Sheffield 1996 France, Wales
  • Steve Molloy
    Steve Molloy
    Steve Molloy is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s, and coach of the 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and England, and at club level for Leeds, Featherstone Rovers, and Sheffield Eagles, playing at , i.e...

     won caps for England while at Leeds
    Leeds Rhinos
    Leeds 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...

     1992 Wales, while at Featherstone
    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...

     1996 France (sub), Wales, while at Sheffield 1999 France (2 matches), and won caps for Great Britain while at Leeds
    Leeds Rhinos
    Leeds 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...

     1993 France, while at Featherstone
    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...

     1994 Fiji, 1996 Fiji (sub), New Zealand (sub)

  • Daryl Powell
    Daryl Powell
    Daryl A. Powell is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League football club. He is a former /for Keighley Cougars, Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos...

     won caps for England while at Sheffield 1992 Wales (sub), 1995 Wales, France, while at 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...

     Australia, South Africa, 1996 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Sheffield 1990 France (sub), Papua New Guinea (2 matches), New Zealand (sub), New Zealand (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), 1991 France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, 1992 France (sub), France, Papua New Guinea, Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 1993 France (sub), New Zealand (sub) (3 matches), 1994 France (sub), Australia (2 matches), Australia (sub), while at 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...

     1996 Papua New Guinea (sub), Fiji, New Zealand (3 matches)

  • Keith Senior
    Keith Senior
    Keith Senior is an English professional rugby league or who most recently played for the Leeds Rhinos in Super League. He has won every honour in the English domestic game. He holds the record for the most Super League appearances & the most Super League tries...

     won caps for England while at Leeds
    Leeds Rhinos
    Leeds 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...

     2000 Australia, Russia, Ireland, New Zealand, 2001 Wales, and won caps for Great Britain while at Sheffield 1996 Fiji, New Zealand, 1998 New Zealand (3 matches), while at Leeds
    Leeds Rhinos
    Leeds 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...

     1999 Australia, New Zealand, 2001 Australia (3 matches), 2002 Australia, New Zealand (3 matches), 2003 Australia (2 matches), 2004 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 2005 Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 2006 New Zealand (3 matches), Australia (2 matches), 2007 New Zealand (3 matches)

Other Notable Players

These players have either; received a Testimonial match
Testimonial match
A 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....

, are "Hall of Fame" inductees, played during Sheffield Eagles' four 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...

 seasons, or were international representatives before, or after, their time at Sheffield Eagles.

  • Jeff Hardy
    Jeff Hardy (rugby league)
    This Is The Rugby Player, For The Wrestler see Jeff Hardy Jeff Hardy is a former Australian Rugby League player.Playing in the back row Hardy played for the Illawarra Steelers and the St George Dragons in Australia....

  • Andy Hay
    Andy Hay
    Andy Hay is a former rugby league player And Current Super League Assistant Coach.Andy Hay was an England international and played at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup Scoring 2 tries in consecutive games against Russia & Fiji respectively....

  • Ian Hughes
    Ian Hughes (rugby league)
    Ian Hughes is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s who at club level has played for Wakefield Trinity, Sheffield Eagles, and Keighley Cougars, playing , i.e. number 11 or 12.-External links:***...

  • Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson (rugby league)
    Michael G. Jackson is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, Halifax, and Sheffield Eagles, playing at , i.e...

  • Dale Laughton
    Dale Laughton
    Dale Laughton is a Scottish former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Scotland, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Sheffield Eagles, Huddersfield Giants, and Warrington Wolves, playing at , i.e...

  • Neil Law
    Neil Law
    Neil Law is a rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who at club level has played rugby union for Northampton Saints, and at club level has played rugby league for Sheffield Eagles, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, playing at , or , i.e...

  • Dean Lawford
    Dean Lawford
    Dean Lawford is a rugby league half back for Dewsbury Rams. He has played for Sheffield Eagles, Leeds Rhinos, Bramley Buffaloes, Huddersfield Giants, Halifax, Widnes Vikings, Dewsbury Celtic, and Batley Bulldogs....

  • Karl Lovell
    Karl Lovell
    Karl Lovell is a former professional Australian rugby league player who played for the Parramatta Eels, Northern Eagles and the Cronulla Sharks in the NRL between 1997 and 2002. Throughout this he also played for the Sheffield Eagles and the joint Sheffield and Huddersfield merger side in the...

     http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Karl_Lovell.html
  • Danny Mcallister
    Danny McAllister
    Danny McAllister was a famous Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Glenariff and with the Antrim senior inter-county team in the 1940s and 1950s.-References:...

  • Christopher "Chris" Molyneux http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Chris_Molyneux.html
  • William "Willie" Morganson
    Willie Morganson
    Willie Morganson is an Australian former rugby league player.-Playing career:Morganson made his debut in 1991 for the Brisbane Broncos...

     http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Willie_Morganson.html
  • David Mycoe
    David Mycoe
    David Mycoe is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at club level has played for Sheffield Eagles, Wakefield Trinity, Dewsbury Rams, Gateshead Thunder, and Hunslet Hawks, playing at , i.e. number 6.-External links:...


  • Anderson Okiwe
  • Martin Pearson
    Martin Pearson (rugby league)
    Martin 'Pee Wee' Pearson is a former professional rugby league and rugby union footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at representative level has played rugby league for Wales, and at club level for Featherstone Rovers, Halifax , Sheffield Eagles, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, playing at , , or...

  • Nick Pinkney
    Nick Pinkney
    Nick Pinkney is a former rugby league footballer.Nick Pinkney was an England international and played at the 1995 Rugby League World Cup.-Challenge Cup final appearances:...

  • Daio Powell
    Daio Powell
    Daio Powell is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s who at representative level has played for Wales, and at club level for Western Reds, Wakefield Trinity, Halifax, and Sheffield Eagles, playing at , or , i.e...

  • Richard Price
  • 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...

  • Ryan Sheridan
    Ryan Sheridan
    Ryan Sheridan is a former rugby league player.Sheridan was an Ireland international and played at the 2000 Rugby League World Cup.Leeds Career :Ryan Sheridan was one of the most influential players in the late 1990s for the Rhinos...

  • Michael "Mick" Slicker
    Michael Slicker
    Michael "Mick" Slicker is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Ireland, and at club level for Huddersfield Giants.-International honours:...

     http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/Mick_Slicker.html
  • Bright Sodje
    Bright Sodje
    Bright Ojamohare Sodje is a 6'5 retired dual-code rugby player, who played for rugby league clubs Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Hull Kingston Rovers and Sheffield Eagles in England as well as rugby union for Wakefield RFC....

  • Waisale Sovatabua
    Waisale Sovatabua
    Waisale Sovatabua is a former rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played for Sheffield Eagles, Huddersfield Giants and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats in the Super League...

  • Gareth Stephens
    Gareth Stephens
    Gareth Stephens is a former rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Welsh, and at club level for Castleford Tigers, Hull, and Sheffield Eagles, playing at , or .-International honours:...

  • Lynton Stott
    Lynton Stott
    Lynton Stott is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s who at club level has played for Sheffield Eagles , Wakefield Trinity Wildcats, Doncaster, Workington Town, and Hull Kingston Rovers, playing at , or , i.e...



Player records

  • Most tries in a game: 5 by Daryl Powell
    Daryl Powell
    Daryl A. Powell is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League football club. He is a former /for Keighley Cougars, Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos...

     (vs Mansfield Marksman
    Mansfield Marksman
    Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham.Amateur rugby league continues in Nottingham in the shape of Nottingham Outlaws who play in the Rugby League Conference National Division.-Mansfield Marksman...

    ) 2 January 1989
  • Most goals in a game: 13 by Gavin Brown (vs London Skolars
    London Skolars
    London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in North London. They were founded in 1995 and have been semi-professional since 2003, operating in Championship One...

    ) 3 August 2003
  • Most points in a game: 32 by Roy Rafferty (vs Fulham) 21 September 1986
  • Most tries in a season: 30 by Iva Ropati
    Iva Ropati
    Iva Lewis Ropati is a former rugby league international player and High School Principal.-Early years:He grew up playing for the Otahuhu Leopards before moving to the Te Atatu Roosters where he won a Fox Memorial premiership. He later played for the Mangere East Hawks before moving to England...

    , 1991–1992
  • Most goals in a season: 148 by Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

    , 1988–89
  • Most points in a season: 307 by Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

    , 1988–89
  • Most career tries: 114 by Daryl Powell
    Daryl Powell
    Daryl A. Powell is an English rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach of Featherstone Rovers Rugby League football club. He is a former /for Keighley Cougars, Sheffield Eagles and Leeds Rhinos...

    , 1984–95
  • Most career goals: 940 (+46dg) by Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

    , 1985–2004
  • Most career points: 2142 by Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

    , 1986–2004
  • Most career appearances: 389 by Mark Aston
    Mark Aston
    Mark Aston is a former rugby league / with the Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain. He also had short spells with Featherstone Rovers and Bramley but the bulk of his career was spent with the Eagles, who he joined in 1985. He retired from playing in 2004, having been the figurehead in the fight to...

    , 1986–2004

Team records

  • Highest score for: 98–4 vs London Skolars
    London Skolars
    London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in North London. They were founded in 1995 and have been semi-professional since 2003, operating in Championship One...

    , 3 August 2003
  • Highest score against: 0–88 vs Hull, 2 February 2003
  • Highest attendance: 10,603 vs 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....

    , 16 August 1997

External links

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