153-680: The Sheffield Eagles are a professional rugby league club based in Sheffield , South Yorkshire , England . They play home games at the Olympic Legacy Park and compete in the Championship , the second tier of British rugby league . Sheffield's only major honour was winning the 1998 Challenge Cup , they have won the Second Division twice. The clubs traditional home colours are red, white and gold and they share
306-684: A "breach of confidentiality"; Sheffield were then set to take-over 'The Dons' in a deal with administrators, which fell through after the RFL declared Doncaster players to be free agents. When a Rupert Murdoch -funded Super League competition was first proposed, part of the deal was that some traditional clubs would merge. Sheffield were again down 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
459-617: A breakaway faction of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU). Both organisations played the game under the same rules at first, although the Northern Union began to modify rules almost immediately, thus creating a new simpler game that was intended to be a faster-paced form of rugby football. Similar breakaway factions split from RFU-affiliated unions in Australia and New Zealand in 1907 and 1908, renaming themselves "rugby football league s" and introducing Northern Union rules. In 1922,
612-463: A deal with Super League side St. Helens for players on Dual registration ; this helped bolster the squad throughout the season and was considered to be a huge contribution to keeping them in the division. After a seven-game losing streak to open the season, the Eagles finally won, at home against Rochdale by 38 points to 20. The season, however, ended disappointingly as the Eagles finished eighth in
765-580: A decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby at grounds where entrance fees were charged led to twenty-two clubs (including Stockport, who negotiated by telephone) meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield , on 29 August 1895 and forming the "Northern Rugby Football Union". Within fifteen years of that first meeting in Huddersfield, more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league. In 1897,
918-405: A four-yearly cycle in the 2010s; as of 2023 , the holders are Australia . A short-sided version of the sport, rugby league nines , using modified rugby league rules also exists, and is comparable to rugby sevens . Wheelchair rugby league is a mixed-gender sport using heavily modified rugby league rules for disabled and able-bodied players. Unlike wheelchair rugby which adopted its name after
1071-670: A jump over 13 single decker city buses, an accident which resulted in his initial retirement from his daredevil life. In 1992, the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) drew a sellout of 80,355 when SummerSlam was hosted at Wembley Stadium. In the main event, English wrestler Davey Boy Smith won the Intercontinental Championship from Bret Hart . As of April 2023, WWE considers this to be their seventh largest live gate in history behind only WrestleMania 32 (2016), which drew
1224-426: A losing bonus point from all their League games. Despite a number of long-term injuries, the team finished 3rd only narrowly missing out on 2nd place; their highest finish since the re-launch, and they again qualified for the play-offs. 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
1377-437: A mix of the two sports' rules. Much more so than rugby union, rugby league shares significant similarities with North American gridiron codes. Although described as evolving from both rugby and association football , the basic structures of American and Canadian football are remarkably similar to rugby league through a process of parallel evolution: a try-and-goal based scoring system, a set number of plays before handover of
1530-629: A new head coach in Gary Wilkinson 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 F.C. However, on 3 August 2003, London Skolars were
1683-633: A professional level. 45 national teams are ranked by the RLIF and a further 32 are officially recognized and unranked. The strongest rugby league nations are Australia , England , New Zealand , Samoa and Tonga . The Rugby League World Cup is the highest form of representative rugby league. Countries that have contested are Australia , Cook Islands , England , Fiji , France , Ireland , Italy , Jamaica , Lebanon , New Zealand , Papua New Guinea , Russia , Samoa , Scotland , South Africa , Tonga , US and Wales . The 2021 Rugby League World Cup, which
SECTION 10
#17327811125651836-625: A record for the continent's top football tournament until the inauguration of the new Wembley Stadium in 2007. The first two were 1963 final between Milan and Benfica , and the 1968 final between Manchester United and Benfica. In 1971 , it again hosted the final, between Ajax and Panathinaikos , and once more in 1978 , this time between Liverpool and Club Brugge , another in 1992 , when Barcelona played Sampdoria . Wembley has also hosted two European Cup Winners' Cup finals : in 1965 , when West Ham United defeated 1860 Munich , and in 1993 , when Parma defeated Royal Antwerp . It
1989-453: A result play stops much less frequently in rugby league, with the ball typically in play for 50 out of the 80 minutes compared to around 35 minutes for professional rugby union. Other differences include that there are fewer players in rugby league (13 compared to 15) and different rules for tackling . Rugby union has more detailed rules than rugby league and has changed less since the 1895 schism. Since rugby union turned professional in
2142-534: A rivalry with Doncaster . In 1982, Huddersfield captain and chairman of the Players' Union, Gary Hetherington , missed out on a coaching job at York F.C. He decided to form his own club 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 . The club eventually joined
2295-415: A team's creative unit or 'playmakers'. During the interactions between a team's 'key' players (five-eighth, half-back, fullback, lock forward, and hooker), the five-eighth and half-back will usually be involved in most passing moves. These two positions are commonly called the "halves". The forwards' two responsibilities can be broken into "normal play" and "scrum play". For information on a forward's role in
2448-538: A third-round Challenge Cup game against Oldham in 1989. In the wake of the Hillsborough disaster , 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 itself, Bramall Lane , Recreation Ground , Oakwell Stadium and Belle Vue . They survived one season in
2601-550: A track that was difficult to pass on which often led to processional racing. Among those who never performed well there despite their credentials include 1973 World Champion Jerzy Szczakiel (who won his title at home in Poland and two weeks later under difficult circumstances failed to score in the World Team Cup Final at Wembley), while others such as Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsen often seemed to find their best form at
2754-401: A value of 2 points when kicked from beyond the 40 metre line. Field position is crucial in rugby league, achieved by running with or kicking the ball. Passing in rugby league may only be in a backward or sideways direction. Teammates, therefore, have to remain on-side by not moving ahead of the player with the ball. The ball may be kicked ahead, but if teammates are in front of the kicker when
2907-557: Is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 m (74 yd) wide and 112–122 m (122–133 yd) long with H-shaped posts at both ends. It is one of the two major codes of rugby football , the other being rugby union . It originated in 1895 in Huddersfield , Yorkshire , England, as the result of a split from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) over
3060-890: Is a gold and black strip, black shorts and black socks. The original club's badge was an Eagles head inside a crest with The Eagles across the top and Sheffield Eagles in italics across the bottom. The inside of the crest was yellow with a red border. The new club chose to use a different more updated crest to replace the old dated one. The new more modern crest features an eagle with Sheffield Eagles written below it. Head coach Assistant coaches Updated: 3 November 2021 Source(s): 2022 Squad Gains Losses Rugby league Rugby league football , commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby XIII in non- Anglophone Europe and South America, and referred to colloquially as football , footy , rugby , or league in its heartlands,
3213-462: Is best known for hosting football matches, having hosted the FA Cup Final annually as well as numerous England International fixtures. The Empire Stadium was built in exactly 300 days at the cost of £750,000. Described as the world's greatest sporting arena, it was ready only four days before the "White Horse" final in 1923. The FA had not considered admission by ticket, grossly underestimating
SECTION 20
#17327811125653366-474: Is conducted under the direction of the Federation of International Touch (FIT). Though it shares similarities and history with rugby league , it is recognised as a sport in its own right due to its differences which have been developed over the sport's lifetime. Touch is a variation of rugby league with the tackling of opposing players replaced by a touch. As touches must be made with minimal force, touch
3519-432: Is the dominant winter sport in the eastern Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland . The game is also among the predominant sports of Tonga and is played in other Pacific nations such as Samoa and Fiji . Researchers have found that rugby league has been able to help with improving development in the islands. In Australia, and indeed the rest of the region, the annual State of Origin series ranks among
3672-555: Is therefore considered a limited-contact sport. The original basic rules of touch were established in the 1960s by members of the South Sydney Junior Rugby League Club in Sydney, Australia . OzTag is a non-contact form of rugby league, and can be seen as a variation of British tag rugby. Cronulla Sharks and St George Dragons halfback Perry Haddock introduced the sport in Australia while coaching
3825-413: Is worth. One of the main differences is the rules of possession. When the ball goes into touch , possession in rugby union is contested through a line-out , while in rugby league a scrum restarts play. The lesser focus on contesting possession means that play focuses more on powerful running, hard tackling, forward progression and the contest for field position (commonly compared to an "arm wrestle"); as
3978-602: The 1953–54 Challenge Cup Final replay at Odsal Stadium , Bradford , England, setting a new record for attendance at a rugby football match of either code. Also in 1954, the Rugby League World Cup, the first for either code of rugby, was formed at the instigation of the French. In 1966, the International Board introduced a rule that a team in possession was allowed three play-the-balls and on
4131-457: The 1992 Rugby League World Cup final between Great Britain and Australia (since beaten by the 74,468 attendance for the 2013 RLWC Final at Old Trafford ). The Mal Meninga -led Australian team won the game 10–6 on the back of a Steve Renouf try in the north-east corner and Meninga's goal kicking. The 1995 World Cup Final between England and Australia was also played at Wembley with 66,540 spectators watching Australia win 16–8. The final of
4284-447: The 1999 Challenge Cup was the last to be played at the stadium and was attended by 73,242 fans, with the annual fixture moving to other grounds ( Murrayfield Stadium , Millennium Stadium and Twickenham ) before returning to the new Wembley upon its completion in 2007. Wembley was the main venue for the 1948 Summer Olympics , with Fanny Blankers-Koen and Emil Zátopek among the notable winners in athletics . The Stadium also hosted
4437-483: The 1999 NRL season . Figure shown is the total attendance which is officially counted for both games. ** The official attendance of the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay was 102,569. Unofficial estimates put the attendance as high as 150,000, Bradford Police confirming 120,000. Wembley Stadium (1923) The former Wembley Stadium ( / ˈ w ɛ m b l i / ; originally known as the Empire Stadium )
4590-454: The ARL and NZRL . Since rugby league was introduced to Australia in 1908, it has become the largest television sport and 3rd most attended sport in Australia. Neighbouring Papua New Guinea is one of two countries to have rugby league as its national sport (with Cook Islands ). Australia's elite club competition also features a team from Auckland , New Zealand's biggest city. Rugby league
4743-530: The British Empire Exhibition of 1924–25. First known as the "British Empire Exhibition Stadium" or simply the "Empire Stadium", it was built by Sir Robert McAlpine for the British Empire Exhibition of 1924 (extended to 1925). The stadium cost £750,000 (equivalent to approximately £46 million in 2020) and was constructed on the site of a folly called Watkin's Tower . The architects were Sir John Simpson and Maxwell Ayrton and
Sheffield Eagles - Misplaced Pages Continue
4896-603: The Crusaders at the Don Valley Stadium to qualify for the Grand Final for a second time. In the Grand Final on 8 October they beat Swinton Lions 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
5049-475: The Czech Republic 2–1 with the first international golden goal in football history. Germany had earlier defeated England on penalties in the semi-final after a 1–1 draw, with Gareth Southgate having his penalty saved against England in the shoot-out. England's final two competitive matches played at the stadium resulted in 0–1 defeats for England to Scotland and Germany respectively. The first defeat
5202-634: The International Rugby League . Rugby league is the national sport of Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands and is a popular sport in countries such as England , Australia , New Zealand , France , Tonga , Fiji , Samoa , Lebanon , Jamaica , and Malta . The first Rugby League World Cup was held in France in 1954, the first World Cup of either rugby code, and has been held sporadically ever since, settling into
5355-474: The Lance Todd Trophy 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. 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
5508-704: The New South Wales Rugby Football League was founded at Bateman's Hotel in George Street. Unlike in England, where both codes maintained their own geographic areas of dominance, in Australia rugby league went on to displace rugby union entirely as the primary football code in New South Wales and Queensland , while Australian rules football dominated the rest of Australia. On 5 May 1954, 102,569 spectators watched
5661-411: The Olympic Legacy Park in 2018. The new stadium has a 4G pitch and a capacity of 1,889, although this is expected to increase to meet Rugby Football League (RFL) regulations. The first home game back in Sheffield was against Toronto Wolfpack on 11 March, they lost 10–44. Ahead of this season players Greg Burns , Matt James and Ryan Millar agreed to sign on for a further two years. They struck
5814-447: The Olympic Legacy Park in 2018. Work is due to start on the construction of a £5million stadium in the spring of 2019. The club adopted the colours of the original Sheffield Eagles, playing in red, gold and white. The club's shirts have been predominantly red with either a gold or white V across the front. Away shirts vary in colour with some being black or white. The 2020 home shirt is predominantly red, white and gold. The 2020 away kit
5967-749: The Ottawa Aces were scheduled to join the English league pyramid, becoming the only Canadian team in the system after the Wolfpack were denied re-entry. The club subsequently relocated to Penryn, Cornwall , and are now known as Cornwall R.L.F.C. In 2021, the North American Rugby League announced an attempt to be North America's professional championship, with Canadian club Toronto Wolfpack joining several USA Rugby League clubs, New York Freedom and Cleveland Rugby League to form
6120-532: The RFL held its Challenge Cup Final at Wembley from 1929 onwards. The stadium was also regularly used by the sport for major international matches, such as Great Britain versus Australia . In 1949 the France national rugby league team became the first France national team of any sport to win at Wembley. The largest crowd for a Challenge Cup Final at Wembley was set in 1985 when Wigan beat Hull F.C. 28–24 in front of 99,801 spectators, which as of 2017 remains
6273-598: The Rugby League European Federation and Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation expanding the game to new areas such as Chile , Canada , Ghana , Philippines , Czech Republic , Germany , The Netherlands , Sweden , Norway , Spain , Sri Lanka , Hungary , Turkey , Thailand and Brazil to name a few. The two most prominent full-time professional leagues are the Australian National Rugby League and
Sheffield Eagles - Misplaced Pages Continue
6426-670: The St. Louis Cardinals played the first game on 6 August 1983. The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys played the last game on 8 August 1993. The United States Football League also played an exhibition game there on 21 July 1984 between the Philadelphia Stars and Tampa Bay Bandits . The London Monarchs of the World League of American Football played at the venue in 1991 and 1992. Wembley hosted World Bowl '91 ,
6579-447: The final of Euro 1996 . Brazilian footballer Pelé once said of the stadium: "Wembley is the cathedral of football. It is the capital of football and it is the heart of football", in recognition of its status as the world's most famous football stadium. The stadium also hosted many other sports events, including the 1948 Summer Olympics , rugby league's Challenge Cup final, and the 1992 and 1995 Rugby League World Cup finals . It
6732-556: The line-out was abolished and in 1898 professionalism introduced. In 1906, the Northern Union changed its rules, reducing teams from 15 to 13 a side and replacing the ruck formed after tackles with the play-the-ball . By this point, rule changes meant the game organised by the RFL was distinct as a sport from its union cousin. A similar schism to that which occurred in England took place in Sydney , Australia. There, on 8 August 1907
6885-629: 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 wanted to lower
7038-496: The 104 turnstiles into the stadium, far exceeding its official 127,000 capacity. The crowds overflowed onto the pitch as there was no room on the terraces. Estimates of the number of fans in attendance range from 240,000 to well over 300,000. It was thought that the match would not be played because of the number of spectators inside the stadium that had spilled onto the pitch, until mounted police, including Police Constable George Scorey and his white horse, Billy , slowly pushed
7191-526: The 1990s, when News Corporation paid for worldwide broadcasting rights. The media giant's "Super League" movement created changes for the traditional administrators of the game. In Europe, it resulted in a move from Rugby League being a winter sport to a summer one, as the new Super League competition tried to expand its market. In Australasia, the Super League war resulted in long and costly legal battles and changing loyalties, causing significant damage to
7344-518: The 1992 St George Jersey Flegg side. Together with Chris Parkes, the two took the sport to fields across Australia. Today, it is played by over 200,000 players in organised leagues across the country. League Tag replaces tackling with the removal of one of two tags carried on an opponent's hips, attached directly to specific League Tag shorts with Velcro patches, but otherwise retains almost all other rules of traditional rugby league (such as kicking). A number of additional rules are also added relating to
7497-615: The 2000 season, taking Bramley 's vacated place. From 1999 to the present the Eagles have played in the semi-professional leagues , first the Northern Ford Premiership and then the second division of the LHF Healthplan National League. Mark Aston 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
7650-454: The 2017 Kingstone Press League 1 in their inaugural season and earned promotion to the 2018 Rugby League Championship. In 2019 The Wolfpack won promotion to the Super League, lasting only a few months before having to withdraw due to the ongoing worldwide COVID-19 pandemic . New ownership is currently trying to revive the club with matches against amateur clubs in the US and Canada. Beginning in 2022,
7803-708: The 39 steps needed to be climbed to reach the Royal box and collect a trophy (and winners'/losers' medals). In 1934, the Empire Pool was built nearby. The "Wembley Stadium Collection" is held by the National Football Museum . The stadium closed in October 2000 and demolition commenced in December 2002, completing in 2003 for redevelopment . The top of one of the twin towers was erected as a memorial in
SECTION 50
#17327811125657956-674: The British Super League (with teams from New Zealand and France respectively). Other professional and semi professional leagues include Australia's Queensland Cup (which includes a team from Papua New Guinea ) and NSW Cup , the British RFL Championship and RFL League 1 , the French Super XIII and Elite 2 . The Papua New Guinea National Rugby League operates as a semi-professional competition and enjoys nationwide media coverage, being
8109-503: The Eagles faced Wigan Warriors at Wembley Stadium in the final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup . Wigan were overwhelming favourites with a side containing some of the best players of the modern era, including Andy Farrell , Jason Robinson and Henry Paul . Sheffield coach John Kear devised a game plan that was executed perfectly by the team on the day. Star of the show was scrum half Mark Aston , who won
8262-409: The Eagles to bring the trophy back to Sheffield. The Eagles played 3 home games at Bramall Lane in 2012 with the rest taking place at Don Valley including a crowd on 1,895 watching the opening league game against Swinton Lions at Don Valley, the Eagles' highest crowd there since the Super League era. The 2013 season was equally if not more successful that the previous season, reaching the final of
8415-433: The Eagles would play at Sheffield Hallam University 's Sports Park. The first league game played by the professional team there was against Halifax and they won 26–6. In 2017, the club agreed a one-year ground share with Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue . The club also returned to being a semi-professional outfit after an unsuccessful time as professional. The Eagles made their long-awaited return to their home city at
8568-527: The Final of the Speedway World Team Cup in 1968 , 1970 and 1973 won by Great Britain (1968 and 1973) and Sweden (1970). The speedway track at Wembley Stadium was 345 metres (377 yards) in length and was notoriously difficult to ride for those not used to it. Despite regularly being used for World Championship and other British championship meetings, Wembley long had a reputation as
8721-550: The Football League , the Argonauts . In March 1998, Arsenal made a bid to purchase Wembley in the hope of gaining a larger stadium to replace their Highbury ground , which had a capacity of less than 40,000 and was unsuitable for expansion. However, the bid was later abandoned in favour of building the 60,000 capacity Emirates Stadium , which was opened in 2006. On 20 May 2000, the last FA Cup final to be played at
8874-534: The National Rugby League, this was reduced to ten prior to the 2008 season and further reduced to eight prior to the 2016 season. If a team has to interchange a player due to the blood bin rule or due to injury, and this was the result of misconduct from the opposing team, the compromised team does not have to use one of its allocated interchanges to take the player in question off the field. The backs are generally smaller, faster and more agile than
9027-652: The Northern Rail Cup for the first time, losing to Leigh at the Shay , but more importantly becoming the first side to win back to back Championship Grand Finals by beating Batley 19–12 at Leigh Sports Village to retain the Championship title. The Eagles moved back to Owlerton Stadium for the 2014 season as the Don Valley Stadium was scheduled for demolition. The Eagles planned to play at
9180-558: The Northern Union also changed its name to the Rugby Football League and thus over time the sport itself became known as "rugby league" football. In 1895, a schism in Rugby football resulted in the formation of the Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). The success of working class northern teams led to some compensating players who otherwise would be on their job and earning income on Saturdays. This led to
9333-408: The RFL's continuation of the franchising 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". Mark Aston returned as coach in 2007. The 2007 season started slowly for the promoted team but ended with the Eagles defying
SECTION 60
#17327811125659486-411: The RFU reacting to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing "broken time payments" to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players (coal miners, mill workers etc.) who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to affluent southern teams who had other sources of income to sustain the amateur principle. In 1895,
9639-619: The Second Division in 1984, coached by Alan Rhodes , they played at the Owlerton Stadium . A competition was run in the Sheffield Star 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 , 29–10. The match took place the day after the club's sponsor went bust. Hetherington was both manager and player in
9792-724: The St Leger from 1928 until 1998 after which it moved to Wimbledon Stadium and the Trafalgar Cup from 1929 until 1998 after which it moved to Oxford Stadium . In 1931 the famous greyhound Mick the Miller won the St Leger. Wembley's owners' refusal to cancel the regular greyhound racing meant that the match between Uruguay and France in the 1966 FIFA World Cup was played at White City . The National Football League (NFL) held nine preseason American football games at Wembley between 1983 and 1993. The Minnesota Vikings and
9945-580: The Yorkshire Cup final, losing to Wakefield Trinity . Bill Gardner became coach in July 1993 season replacing Gary Hetherington who stood down from his coaching role. In December following a run of five defeats, he was sacked and Hetherington took over as coach again. Sheffield was included on the schedule for a game against the Kangaroos during their 1994 Kangaroo Tour and were defeated, 80–2, in
10098-482: The all-encircling roof, made from aluminium and translucent glass, were added in 1963. In 1977 fences were erected around the pitch following the England vs Scotland match when Scotland fans invaded the pitch and vandalised the pitch and goalposts. These fences were taken down following the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. The stadium's distinctive Twin Towers became its trademark and nickname. Also well known were
10251-447: The ball comes into contact with the ground. An attacking team gets a maximum of six tackles to progress up the field before possession is changed over. Once the tackle is completed, the ball-carrier must be allowed to get to his feet to ' play-the-ball '. Ball control is also important in rugby league, as a fumble of the ball on the ground forces a handover, unless the ball is fumbled backwards. The ball can also be turned over by going over
10404-421: The ball is kicked, they are deemed off-side. Tackling is a key component of rugby league play. Only the player holding the ball may be tackled. A tackle is complete, for example, when the player is held by one or more opposing players in such a manner that he can make no further progress and cannot part with the ball, or when the player is held by one or more opposing players and the ball or the hand or arm holding
10557-550: 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 . In 2009 National League 1 was renamed the Co-operative Championship. The 2009 season started unevenly with incoming International players delayed by visa problems. However, the Eagles rallied to progress to the 5th round of the Challenge Cup and produced consistent performances, gaining at least
10710-490: The club became a founder member of Super League in 1996 and took part in the first game of the Super League era against Paris Saint-Germain . In November 1996, chief executive Gary Hetherington sold his controlling interest in Sheffield Eagles to take over Leeds . Phil Larder became head coach, Paul Thompson, Chairman of Sheffield-based Sanderson Group Plc, became the majority shareholder, and Eagles plc became
10863-490: The club moved to the city's greyhound track, Owlerton Stadium in Hillsborough where they had previously played games between 1984 and 1989. The club experienced a dip in form at Owlerton, with there being temporary changing rooms and poor facilities. The club moved out of Sheffield for the first time in 2015 when they made the temporary switch to the Keepmoat Stadium , Doncaster . Here they ground shared with Doncaster Rovers and local rivals Doncaster , who were playing in
11016-469: The code in an extremely competitive sporting market. In 1997 two competitions were run alongside each other in Australia, after which a peace deal in the form of the National Rugby League was formed. The NRL has since become recognised as the sport's flagship competition and since that time has set record TV ratings and crowd figures. The objective in rugby league is to score more points through tries , goals and field goals (also known as drop goals) than
11169-507: The crowds back to the sides of the field of play to allow the match to kick off just 45 minutes late. In honour of Billy, the footbridge outside the new Wembley Stadium has been named the White Horse Bridge . The official attendance is often quoted as 126,047. The match saw a 2–0 victory for Bolton Wanderers, with David Jack scoring the first ever goal at Wembley. The 1953 FA Cup final between Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers
11322-597: The early decades, and continued to attract crowds of several thousand up until the early 1960s. The stadium staged its last greyhound race meeting in December 1998 with the owners, the Greyhound Racing Association , citing economic reasons and the lack of plans for a greyhound track in the stadium's redevelopment. Two of the biggest events in the greyhound racing calendar were the St Leger and Trafalgar Cup . Both were originally held at Wembley,
11475-657: The early years when this was settled on a home and away basis) and in later years the Associate Members' Cup and the Football League promotion play-off finals (in the early years of play-offs they were home and away fixtures). The 1988 final of the Middlesex Charity Cup was also played there. Prior to the 1923 Wembley stadium, international football games had been played by England at various stadia. Most early internationals (including
11628-410: The final game of the year, Sheffield were beaten 78-10 by Featherstone . The following season the club finished 7th on the table and missed out on the playoffs. In the 2023 RFL Championship, Sheffield finished fourth on the table and qualified for the finals, however they were eliminated in the first week of the finals by London losing 42-0. In 2024, Sheffield finished 7th on the table but missed out on
11781-427: The first ever international football match (1870)) were played at The Oval , which opened in 1845 as the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club and would in 1880 host the first Test match played in England. For the first 27 years, the only International England games played at Wembley were fixtures against Scotland, with other games played elsewhere until 1951. The first team other than Scotland to face England at
11934-416: The first game following the first test match at Wembley . This was the highest score by a Kangaroo touring team in England since they had defeated Bramley , 92–7, on the 1921–22 tour . The Kangaroos ran in 14 tries to nil at Don Valley Stadium. However, because of the tie the club benefited from a significant financial gain. In March 1995, Sheffield pulled out of a proposed merger with Doncaster following
12087-402: 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 , 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
12240-606: The first rugby league club to be floated on the Stock Exchange. John Kear took over the coaching reins at Sheffield Eagles in 1997, taking them to the Premiership Semi-final in that year. The club's record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw them play Bradford Bulls . On 2 May 1998, having beaten Leigh Centurions , Egremont Rangers, Castleford Tigers and Salford Red Devils ,
12393-493: 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 , later to be a critical part of the Eagles' survival as a club and current head coach. By November the club was close to folding because of financial problems. Sheffield beat Wakefield Trinity to set up a John Player Special Trophy first round tie against Leeds Rhinos . This lucrative game generated enough cash to see out
12546-681: The five years prior to the Second World War , the sport's popularity increased as Frenchmen became disenchanted with the state of French rugby union in the 1930s. However, after the Allied Forces were defeated by Germany in June 1940, the Vichy regime in the south seized assets belonging to rugby league authorities and clubs and banned the sport for its association with the left-wing Popular Front government that had governed France before
12699-547: The football, each play restarting from a set piece position and ended by a tackle. Although the Canadian Football League in particular maintained the word 'rugby' in its name for many years, alluding to that shared past, the introduction of the forward pass and unlimited substitution in North American games created a fundamentally different species of game from either original rugby code. Although
12852-407: The forwards. They are often the most creative and evasive players on the field, relying on running, kicking and handling skills, as well as tactics and set plays, to break the defensive line, instead of brute force. Generally forwards play a more collision oriented game, making ground by pure strength, and tackling near the play-the-ball. Usually, the stand-off/five-eighth and scrum-half/half-back are
13005-406: The fourth tackle a scrum was to be formed. This was increased to six tackles in 1972 and in 1983 the scrum was replaced by a handover. 1967 saw the first professional Sunday matches of rugby league played. The first sponsors, Joshua Tetley and John Player , entered the game for the 1971–72 Northern Rugby Football League season . Television had an enormous impact on the sport of rugby league in
13158-585: The ground, with the ball usually set in a kicking tee , and the opposing team not allowed to directly challenge the kicker. The Super League in Europe and the National Rugby League (NRL) in Australasia are the world's premier club competitions. Globally, rugby league is played internationally , predominantly by European , Australasian , and Pacific Island countries, and is governed by
13311-474: The hallowed turf. The pitch was surrounded by wooden beams and little damage was caused. Though the venue was not traditionally a regular host of rugby union matches, England played a friendly against Canada on 17 October 1992, as their regular home stadium at Twickenham was undergoing redevelopment. Wales played their Five Nations and autumn international home matches at Wembley (as Twickenham Stadium would not accommodate them) while Cardiff Arms Park
13464-527: The head engineer Sir Owen Williams . The original intention was to demolish the stadium at the end of the Exhibition, but it was saved at the suggestion of Sir James Stevenson , a Scot who was chairman of the organising committee for the Empire Exhibition. The ground had been used for football as early as the 1880s. At the end of the exhibition, which proved to be a financial disappointment,
13617-411: The historic link between the codes continues to be acknowledged, neither Canadian or American football is commonly considered a rugby code today except in the broadest sense, and are more commonly referred to collectively as gridiron codes, or simply as 'football' within their respective countries. Players on the pitch are divided into forwards and backs , although the game's rules apply to all players
13770-762: The inaugural World Bowl , where the Monarchs defeated the Barcelona Dragons 21–0. From 1958 until the mid-1970s, hurling and gaelic football tournaments known as the "Wembley Tournaments" were held at Wembley Stadium to bring the Irish sports to expatriates in Britain at the time. Several Gaelic football games were played in Wembley Stadium, most of them exhibition matches, most notably Kerry and Down in 1961. In April 1970 this show jumping event
13923-440: The invention of the sport previously called murderball and is not directly linked to rugby union, wheelchair rugby league has grown out of the parent sport, and retains key aspects of that sport such as an egg shaped ball, the forward-pass rule and conversions. While not a Paralympic sport, the sport has its own Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup . A further variation for ambulatory disabled players, physical disability rugby league ,
14076-412: The issue of payments to players. The rules of the game governed by the new Northern Rugby Football Union progressively changed from those of the RFU with the specific aim of producing a faster and more entertaining game to appeal to spectators, on whose income the new organisation and its members depended. In rugby league, points are scored by carrying an oval ball and touching it to the ground beyond
14229-476: The league with the greatest achievement being staying up. In 2019, however, things were looking up for the side as they brought in 14 new signings, including ex-Eagles Jason Crookes , James Davey and Pat Walker , but lost key players in Joshua Toole (Forbes), Matty Fozard (London). They got off to a flying start as they overcame the challenges of Swinton , Barrow and Bradford in the first month of
14382-511: The league's inaugural season. Several brand new clubs from Western USA were scheduled to join in 2022 but never played. The new competition is sanctioned by Canada Rugby League , but not yet by the United States governing body. Unfortunately, while some exhibition matches were played in 2021 and 2022, NARL was defunct by 2023 The early 21st century has seen other countries take up the game and compete in international rugby league with
14535-456: The main investors to the OLP project for Sheffield. Because of this, there were fears that Mr McCabe would remove plans for his Scarborough Group LTD to head up construction of a new ground on the site at the OLP. However, these fears were quashed when it was revealed construction would go ahead as planned in early 2020. Sheffield finished the 2021 Championship season in 12th place on the table. In
14688-542: The match around for Blackpool, who had trailed 3–1 to Bolton Wanderers before fighting back to win the match. It remained the only hat-trick ever scored in an FA Cup Final at the original Wembley. The FA Cup final was played there in April or May until 2000 (excluding the 1970 replay when Chelsea beat Leeds United at Old Trafford ). It was also the venue for finals of the FA Amateur Cup , League Cup (except for
14841-453: The mid-1990s, it has increasingly borrowed techniques, tactics and even laws from rugby league, while high-profile players and coaches from the league game have increasingly gone on to success in the union code in those countries where both codes are popular (e.g. Andy Farrell , Jason Robinson and Henry Paul ). The inherent similarities between rugby league and rugby union have at times led to experimental hybrid games being played that use
14994-537: The most popular sporting events. The Rugby League European Federation are responsible for developing rugby league in Europe . In England, rugby league has traditionally been associated with the historic northern counties of Yorkshire , Lancashire , and Cumberland , where the game originated, especially in towns and cities along the M62 corridor . Its popularity has also increased elsewhere. As of 2024 , only two of
15147-413: The national sport of the country. Five main variant sports of rugby league exist worldwide; Touch , OzTag , League tag , Nines , and Sevens . Touch, OzTag, and League Tag are all non-contact versions of the sport, where as Nines and Sevens are both reduced form (shorter match times and smaller teams) of the sport. Touch (also known as touch football or touch rugby) is a variant of rugby league that
15300-470: The new Sheffield Hallam University facility at Bawtry Road but unfortunately this was not possible and Owlerton Stadium stepped in at the last minute. Sheffield Eagles announced that they would leave Owlerton for the 2015 season due to new Rugby Football League ground regulations and played the season in nearby Doncaster at the Keepmoat Stadium , home of Doncaster . In 2016 it was announced
15453-561: The new Super League, although the club was dissolved in 1997. In 2006, the Super League admitted the Catalans Dragons, a team from Perpignan in the southern Languedoc-Roussillon region. They have subsequently reached the 2007 Challenge Cup Final and made the playoffs of the 2008 Super League XIII season. The success of the Dragons in Super League has initiated a renaissance in French rugby league, with new-found enthusiasm for
15606-745: The new season. That year saw the Eagles return to Wembley for the first time in more than 2 decades to claim the inaugural 1895 Cup by defeating Widnes 38–16. However, their League season was less of a success as they finished in 7th place. During the off-season, plans to build the Olympic Legacy Park were put into jeopardy as a court case to claim 100% ownership of Sheffield United F.C. found in favour of HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud over Kevin McCabe -one of
15759-405: The north of England there have been complaints about its lack of profile in the British media. On the eve of the 2017 Rugby League World Cup final where England would face Australia, English amateur rugby league coach Ben Dawson stated, "we're in the final of a World Cup. First time in more than 30 years and there's no coverage anywhere". France first played rugby league as late as 1934, where in
15912-573: 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 , making a new team Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants, who were scheduled to play games in both Sheffield and Huddersfield in Super League V . The Huddersfield-Sheffield side's away strip
16065-499: The number of fans who arrived at the 104 gates on match day. However, after this match, every event apart from the 1982 replay was ticketed. The first event held at the stadium was the 1923 FA Cup final on 28 April between Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United . This is known as the White Horse Final . Such was the eagerness to attend the final at the new national stadium that vast numbers of people crammed through
16218-505: The old Wembley saw Chelsea defeat Aston Villa with the only goal scored by Roberto Di Matteo . The final competitive club match there was the 2000 First Division play-off final on 29 May, between Ipswich Town and Barnsley , a 4–2 win resulting in promotion to the Premier League for Ipswich. The last club match of all was the 2000 Charity Shield , in which Chelsea defeated Manchester United 2–0. The last international match
16371-404: The opposing team's goal line; this is called a try , and is the primary method of scoring, worth four points. The opposing team attempts to stop the attacking side scoring points by tackling the player carrying the ball and denying forward progress. On occasion, where a clear try scoring opportunity has been thwarted by foul play, a penalty try may be awarded without the ball being grounded over
16524-475: The opposition within the 80 minutes of play. If after two-halves of play, each consisting of forty minutes, the two teams are drawing , a draw may be declared, or the game may enter extra time under the golden point rule, depending on the relevant competition's format. The try is the most common form of scoring, and a team will usually attempt to score one by running and kicking the ball further upfield or passing from player-to-player in order to manoeuvre around
16677-400: The opposition's defence. A try involves touching the ball to the ground on or beyond the defending team's goal-line and is worth four points. A goal is worth two points and may be gained from a conversion or a penalty . A field goal, or drop goal, is only worth one point and is gained by dropping and then kicking the ball on the half volley between the uprights in open play. A field goal has
16830-456: The park on the north side of Overton Close in the nearby Saint Raphael's Estate. The cities of Birmingham and Coventry launched bids to become the new home of England's football team following disputes and a political row regarding the new Wembley's construction. These bids were ultimately unsuccessful as the FA chose in 2002 to keep the national team at the new Wembley once completed. Wembley
16983-424: The playoffs due to an inferior for and against. Sheffield originally played at Don Valley Stadium . In a bid to increase attendances, the Eagles left Don Valley in 2010 and moved to Bramall Lane where attendances rose to three times more than what they were at Don Valley. The Eagles returned to Don Valley midway through 2011 and stayed there until 2013. Don Valley was demolished in 2014. After being left homeless
17136-542: The position they play, similarly to association football . Substitutes (generally referred to as "the bench") are allowed in the sport, and are typically used when a player gets tired or injured , although they can also be used tactically. Each team is currently allowed four substitutes, and in Australia and New Zealand, these players occupy shirt numbers 14 to 22. There are no limitations on which players must occupy these interchangeable slots. Generally, twelve interchanges are allowed in any game from each team, although in
17289-560: The reserves played their home fixtures. Temporary seating was erected to bring the capacity to 3,000 to meet Rugby Football League (RFL) regulations. After finding themselves homeless again with work on the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium delayed and unable to find a home in Sheffield, the Eagles played their home matches at Belle Vue , the home of Wakefield Trinity , for the duration of the 2017 season. The club finally permanently returned to Sheffield and
17442-511: The same division which meant the two clubs playing an extra home game when they faced each other. At the end of the season , during The Qualifiers , the Eagles' were allowed to return to Bramall Lane for games against Hull K.R. and Wakefield Trinity . They also hosted Hull F.C. at the Lane, in a Challenge Cup fifth round tie. The Eagles moved to Sheffield Hallam University's Sports Park on Bawtry Road, Brinsworth , Rotherham in 2016, where
17595-501: The same way. Each position has a designated number to identify himself from other players. These numbers help to identify which position a person is playing. The system of numbering players is different depending on which country the match is played in. In Australia and New Zealand, each player is usually given a number corresponding to their playing position on the field. However, since 1996 European teams have been able to grant players specific squad numbers, which they keep without regard to
17748-496: The scrum see rugby league scrummage . Forward positions are traditionally named after the player's position in the scrum yet are equal with respect to "normal play" with the exception of the hooker. Forward positions are traditionally assigned as follows: Rugby league is played in over 70 nations throughout the world. Papua New Guinea is the only country to have rugby league as its national sport . Four countries – Australia, England, France, and New Zealand – have teams that play at
17901-481: The season. 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 . In the final they outplayed Swinton , beating them by 43–18 and gaining promotion to the top flight of rugby league . Sheffield's record attendance at Owlerton was set at 3,636 for
18054-410: The second highest rugby league attendance in England behind only the 1954 Challenge Cup Final replay at Bradford 's Odsal Stadium when a then world record attendance of 102,575 saw Warrington defeat Halifax 8–4 (the original 1954 cup final at Wembley, drawn 4–4, was played in front of 81,841 fans). The stadium set the international record crowd for a rugby league game when 73,631 turned out for
18207-604: The semi-finals of the Northern Rail Cup for the first time and beating Featherstone Rovers 20–16 in the Grand Final to become Championship Champions. The final was a re-match of the 2011 fixture which was the Eagles 1st ever appearance at the final but were beaten soundly on that occasion 40–4. The Eagles defeated Batley , Halifax and Leigh to reach the Grand Final with Scott Turner , Misi Taulapapa , Quentin Laulu-Togagae and Dane McDonald all scoring for
18360-513: The semifinals and finals of the Olympic hockey and football tournaments, the Prix des Nations event in the equestrian competition, and a demonstration match of lacrosse. Motorcycle speedway first took place at Wembley in 1929, and operated until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, a few days before the 1939 World Championship Final was due to be held, but it was cancelled as a result of
18513-524: The sideline. Rugby league and rugby union are distinct sports with many similarities and a shared origin. Both have the same fundamental rules, are played for 80 minutes and feature an oval-shaped ball and H-shaped goalposts. Both have rules that the ball cannot be passed forward, and dropping it forwards leads to a scrum. Both use tries as the central scoring method and conversion kicks , penalty goals and drop goals as additional scoring methods. However, there are differences in how many points each method
18666-407: The site at Wembley was considered by many to be a vast ' white elephant '. It was bought by a property speculator, James White , who planned to sell off the buildings for redevelopment, including the stadium which had been the centrepiece of the exhibition. Arthur Elvin , an ex- RFC officer who had worked in a tobacco kiosk at the exhibition and had previous experience working for a scrap metal firm,
18819-526: The specific issues associated with a tag based game. Rugby League played with nine players per team with nine minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. Rugby League played with seven players per team with seven minutes per half, in addition to slight rule modifications to aid the game. The top five attendances for rugby league test matches (International) are: The top five attendances for domestic based rugby league matches are: * NRL double header played to open Round 1 of
18972-613: The speedway track were supplied by Richard Biffa Ltd whose operating base at the time was in Wembley Hill Road. Richard Biffa later became Biffa Waste Services. The Lions were formed by the Wembley Stadium chairman Sir Arthur Elvin . Between 1936 and 1960 Wembley hosted all of the first 15 finals of the Speedway World Championship . It hosted another nine World Finals before the last one at Wembley took place in 1981 in front of 92,500 fans, just shy of
19125-663: The sport in the south of the country where most of the Super XIII teams are based. In other parts of Europe, the game is played at semi-professional and amateur level. As of 2023, there is no professional rugby league in North America. From 2017 to 2020, the Toronto Wolfpack were North America 's only active professional Rugby League team, competing in the English Rugby League system. They won
19278-495: The stadium before it too was demolished. He was able to finance this by forming the 'Wembley Stadium and Greyhound Racecourse Company'. He raised the money to buy the stadium at the original price he had agreed with White, then immediately sold it back to the company, leaving him with a healthy personal profit. Instead of cash, he received shares in the company, which gave him the largest individual stake in Wembley Stadium, and subsequently became chairman. The electric scoreboard and
19431-444: The stadium. The track itself was located inside of the greyhound racing track, but intersected the stadium's playing field at the corners. The pits were located in the tunnel at the eastern end of the stadium. The track record at Wembley will forever be held by Denmark's World Champion of 1984 , 1985 & 1988 Erik Gundersen . In Heat 6 of the 1981 World Final, Gundersen set the 4-lap record (clutch start) of 66.8 seconds. As this
19584-510: The team struggled to match this effort, with key players retiring or being signed by bigger clubs – young players Mitchell Stringer and Andy Raleigh went on to sign for Super League clubs. At the start of the 2006 season Gary Wilkinson 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 in National League One. On 22 September 2006 they beat
19737-435: The title), Ronnie Moore (New Zealand), Ove Fundin (Sweden), Barry Briggs (New Zealand), Peter Craven (England), Björn Knutson (Sweden), Ole Olsen (Denmark), Bruce Penhall (United States – the winner of the 1981 World Final), and legendary New Zealand rider Ivan Mauger . With four wins, Sweden's Ove Fundin won the most World Championships at Wembley, winning in 1956 , 1960 , 1963 and 1967 . Wembley also hosted
19890-597: 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. Don Valley Stadium became home for the club in September 1990, it had been built for the 1991 World Student Games held in Sheffield. In May 1991, Eagles signed their first local recruit, Jason Davidson. In 1992 they reached
20043-482: The try line. In addition to tries, points can be scored by kicking goals. Drop goals (or field goals) can be attempted from the hand at any time for a single point. Following a successful try, the scoring team gains a free kick to try at goal with a conversion worth a further two points. Penalty kicks at goal, known simply as penalties, may also be awarded for general foul play, and are also worth two points. Unlike drop goals, penalty kicks and conversions are taken from
20196-571: The twelve Super League teams are based outside of these traditional counties: Catalans Dragons and London Broncos . One other team from outside the United Kingdom, Toulouse Olympique , competes in the British rugby league system , although not at the highest tier Super League level, but rather in the second tier Championship . Super League average attendances are in the 8,000 to 9,500 range. The average Super League match attendance in 2014
20349-618: The venue was Argentina. In 1956 and 1971, it was the venue of the home matches of the Great Britain national football team for the qualification matches to the Summer Olympic Games against Bulgaria . In 1966, it was the leading venue of the FIFA World Cup . It hosted nine matches, including the final , where tournament hosts England won 4–2 after extra time against West Germany . Seven years later, Wembley
20502-492: The venue's record speedway attendance of 95,000 set at the 1938 World Final . Riders who won the World Championship at Wembley include; inaugural champion Lionel Van Praag (Australia), Jack Milne (United States), Bluey Wilkinson (Australia), Tommy Price (England), Freddie Williams (Wales), Jack Young (Australia – the first two-time winner, first back-to-back winner and the first second division rider to win
20655-535: The victims as Sheffield Eagles won 98–4, a record league victory to this day. In 2003 the team finished top of National League Two and reached the Grand Final, agonisingly losing 13–11 to the Keighley Cougars . 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 ended in failure for the demoralised squad. Until 2006
20808-527: The war. The sport was unbanned after the Liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the collapse of the Vichy regime, although it was still actively marginalised by the French authorities until the 1990s. Despite this, the national side appeared in the finals of the 1954 and 1968 World Cups, and the country hosted the 1954 event. In 1996, a French team, Paris Saint-Germain was one of eleven teams which formed
20961-520: The war. The Wembley Lions returned in 1946 and operated in the top flight until the end of the 1956 season winning a number of League titles. A short lived revival saw the Lions in the British League in the 1970 and 1971 seasons . Lionel Van Praag ( 1936 ), Tommy Price ( 1949 ), and Freddie Williams ( 1950 and 1953 ), all won World Championships whilst riding for Wembley. The ashes for
21114-408: 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 and Barrow Raiders with away victories before falling to eventual champions Halifax . The 2012 season was the Eagles most successful to date, reaching
21267-472: Was 8,365. In 2018 average Super League match attendance was 8,547. Ranked the eighth most popular sport in the UK overall, rugby league is the 27th most popular participation sport in England according to figures released by Sport England ; the total number of rugby league participants in England aged 16 and over was 44,900 in 2017. This is a 39% drop from 10 years ago. While the sport is largely concentrated in
21420-566: Was a football stadium in Wembley , London , best known for hosting important football matches. It stood on the same site now occupied by its successor and by its predecessor, Watkin's Tower . Wembley hosted the FA Cup final annually, the first in 1923 , which was the stadium's inaugural event, the League Cup final annually, five European Cup finals, the 1966 World Cup final , and
21573-454: Was also the venue for Arsenal 's home Champions League matches in 1998–99 and 1999–2000 . It has hosted clubs' home matches on two other occasions; in 1930, when Leyton Orient played two home Third Division South matches while their Lea Bridge Stadium was undergoing urgent remedial works; and in 1930–31 for eight matches by non-League Ealing A.F.C. It was also to be the home of the amateur club which made several applications to join
21726-441: Was also the venue for numerous music events, including the 1985 Live Aid charity concert. In what was the first major WWF (now WWE ) pay-per-view to take place outside North America, it hosted the 1992 SummerSlam . The stadium's first turf was cut by King George V and it was first opened to the public on 28 April 1923. Much of Humphry Repton 's original Wembley Park landscape was transformed in 1922–23 during preparations for
21879-514: Was being rebuilt as the Millennium Stadium in the late 1990s (a deal reciprocated for FA Cups during the construction of the new Wembley Stadium). In total there were seven internationals. Wembley was a regular venue for greyhound racing . It was the first sport Sir Arthur Elvin introduced to the stadium. The opening meeting was in 1927. The greyhound racing provided the stadium with its main source of regular income, especially in
22032-497: Was created and had its first world cup in 2022 to coincide with the rescheduled 2021 Rugby League World Cup competitions. Rugby league football takes its name from the bodies that split to create a new form of rugby, distinct from that run by the Rugby Football Unions, in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand between 1895 and 1908. The first of these, the Northern Rugby Football Union , was established in 1895 as
22185-434: Was dubbed the "Matthews final" after Blackpool's winger Stanley Matthews . At age 38, he was making his third and ultimately his final attempt at winning an FA Cup medal. In the previous six years, he failed to earn a winner's medal against Manchester United in 1948 and Newcastle United in 1951 . It featured a hat-trick by Blackpool's Stan Mortensen in his side's 4–3 win, with Matthews almost single-handedly turning
22338-618: Was employed by White to oversee the sale of the buildings and the clearance of the Wembley site. The stadium had gone into liquidation after it was pronounced "financially unviable". After nine months, having earned a good sum from selling various buildings on the site, Elvin agreed to buy the stadium from White for a total of £127,000 as a £12,000 downpayment and the balance plus interest payable over ten years. Facing personal bankruptcy, White killed himself at his home, King Edward's Place , in 1927. This caused financial complications for Elvin, requiring him to raise money within two weeks to buy
22491-587: Was held at Wembley Stadium. This left the grass turf in poor condition for the FA Cup Final a week later. The stadium also staged women's field hockey matches in which England appeared in their annual match between 1951 and 1969 and then from 1971 to 1991. On 18 June 1963, Wembley hosted a heavyweight boxing match between London native boxer Henry Cooper and American rising star Muhammad Ali in front of 35,000 spectators. On 26 May 1975, in front of 90,000 people, Evel Knievel crashed while trying to land
22644-479: Was hosted by England during October and November 2022, staged the Men's , Women's and Wheelchair competitions together for the first time. The competition formerly featured 16 teams, but has been cut down to 10 for the upcoming 2026 Rugby League World Cup . The Asia-Pacific Rugby League Confederation 's purpose is to spread the sport of rugby league throughout their region along with other governing bodies such as
22797-498: Was in the Sheffield Eagles colours. The merged Huddersfield-Sheffield team did not last the season before reverting to the Huddersfield name. An immediately resurrected Sheffield Eagles would continue in the lower leagues. The merger with Huddersfield was not accepted by Sheffield supporters , and so former player Mark Aston formed a new Eagles phoenix club, earning a place in the Northern Ford Premiership for
22950-575: Was in the play off for the Euro 2000 qualifiers in November 1999, but England still went through as they won the other leg 2–0 at Hampden Park . However, the final match at Wembley was the opening qualifier for the 2002 World Cup , and defeat prompted the resignation of England manager Kevin Keegan at the end of the match after 18 months in charge. In all, the stadium hosted five European Cup finals,
23103-486: Was on 7 October, in Kevin Keegan's last game as England manager . England were defeated 0–1 by Germany, with Dietmar Hamann scoring the last goal at the original Wembley. On that day, Tony Adams made his 60th Wembley appearance, a record for any player. Adams also claimed England's final goal at the stadium, having scored in the previous home fixture against Ukraine on 31 May. In the sport of rugby league ,
23256-500: Was the last time the stadium was used for speedway racing, it remains the track record. Two meetings were held at Wembley in 1974 promoted by Trevor Redmond . The first meeting held featured BriSCA Formula 1 Stock Cars and National Hot Rods . The second meeting featured the BriSCA Formula 2 Stock Cars World Final with F1s in support. Before the first meeting the Wembley groundsman threatened to resign over possible damage to
23409-644: Was the venue for a specially arranged friendly between teams called "The Three" and "The Six" to celebrate the United Kingdom joining the European Economic Community . The match finished 2–0 to "The Three". In 1996, it was the principal venue of UEFA Euro 1996 , hosting all of England's matches, as well as the tournament's final, where Germany won the UEFA European Championship for a third time after defeating
#564435