Leeds Rhinos facts for kids

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Leeds Rhinos

Club information
Full name	Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Rhinos The Loiners
Colours	Blue and Amber
Founded	1870; 155 years ago (1870) (as Leeds St John's)
Current details
Ground(s)	AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium (19,700)
Chairman	Paul Caddick
Coach	Brad Arthur
Competition	Super League
Uniforms
Home colours
Records
Championships	11 (1961, 1969, 1972, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017)
Challenge Cups	14 (1910, 1923, 1932, 1936, 1941, 1942, 1957, 1968, 1977, 1978, 1999, 2014, 2015, 2020)
World Club Challenges	3 (2005, 2008, 2012)
Other honours	37
Most capped	625 - John Holmes
Highest points scorer	3,967 - Kevin Sinfield

The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league team from Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. They play their home games at AMT Headingley Rugby Stadium. The Rhinos compete in the Super League, which is the top rugby league competition in Britain.

The Leeds Rhinos have won the League Championship 11 times. They have also won the Challenge Cup 14 times and the World Club Challenge three times.

The club has big, long-standing rivalries with other West Yorkshire teams. These include the Huddersfield Giants and Bradford Bulls. Leeds' traditional home colours are blue and amber shirts with white shorts and blue socks.

History of the Rhinos

How the Club Started (1870–1895)

In 1864, a man named H. I. Jenkinson put an advertisement in a local newspaper. He invited people to play rugby at Woodhouse Moor several mornings a week. Over 500 people were interested! This led to the creation of several rugby clubs, including Leeds St John's.

Leeds St John's was formed in 1870. It was first known as the "Old Blue and Ambers." The team played at the Militia Barracks from 1870 to 1888. Then they moved to Cardigan Fields, near Headingley, Leeds. At first, only church members could join. But soon, anyone could become a member. By 1887, St John's reached its first cup final, the Yorkshire Cup. They lost to Wakefield Trinity.

Leeds had many rugby clubs. Even though they were part of the Yorkshire RFU, they decided to form a local group. So, the Leeds & District organisation was created on September 27, 1888. The founding clubs included Leeds St John's.

In 1888, a group of Leeds citizens bought land at an auction. This land became what is now Headingley Stadium. They wanted to create the city's main sports club.

Leeds St John's played its last season under that name in 1889–90. The next season, it became the football part of Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Co Ltd. Headingley Stadium was still being built. So, Leeds' first game was at Cardigan Fields. They beat Otley. The first game at Headingley was on September 20, 1890. Leeds beat Manningham.

After the 1890–91 season, Leeds and other Yorkshire clubs wanted their own county league. This league would start in 1891. But the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union did not agree. They did not want to give up control of rugby.

In 1892, a record 27,654 fans watched Leeds play Halifax at Headingley.

Joining the Northern Union (1895–1920)

In 1895, a special meeting was held. Members voted to join the new Northern Union. This caused two people to leave the club. Leeds' first game in the Northern Union was on September 7, 1895. They won 6–3 against Leigh. This was the very first day of the new competition.

In 1901, the Leeds Parish Church team broke up. All their players joined Leeds. That same year, the Northern Rugby League was formed. Many top clubs left their old leagues to join. Leeds joined the new second division the next year. They quickly moved up to the first division.

In 1905–06, Leeds City FC joined football's Second Division. This seemed to affect rugby's popularity. Leeds Rugby League's average attendance dropped by almost 50%.

In 1910, Leeds had a great year. They finished sixth in the league. But their biggest success was in the Challenge Cup. Leeds won against Hull Kingston Rovers, Rochdale Hornets, Keighley, and Warrington. They then met Hull F.C. in the final. The game ended in a 7–7 tie because of rain. A replay was held two days later. Leeds won convincingly, 26–12.

The club lost many players during the First World War. Out of 51 players who served, 15 were killed. The regular league games were stopped. During this time, Leeds played "guest players" in the Emergency League. In 1915, the Headingley club reached the Championship final for the first time. But they lost 35–2 to Huddersfield. This was a record score at the time.

Between the Wars (1921–1942)

In 1921, Harold Buck became the first rugby player to be transferred for £1,000. He moved from Hunslet to Leeds.

On October 27, 1934, Leeds and Wakefield Trinity played in the Yorkshire Cup final. The game ended in a 5–5 draw. Four days later, they drew again! Leeds finally won the trophy after a second replay. This was the only time it took three games to decide a Yorkshire Cup Final. A total of 52,402 fans watched the three games.

Leeds forward Joe Thompson was the top point scorer in the 1929–30 and 1927–28 seasons.

In 1937, Leeds paid a record £1,400 to sign Vic Hey from Australia. He was a very important player. This led to the RFL banning international transfers until 1940.

In 1938, Leeds played Swinton in the Rugby Football League Championship semi-final. Leeds won 5–2. This set up a special final against their neighbours Hunslet. The game was played at Elland Road football ground. Over 54,000 people watched, a record for a rugby league match in England. Hunslet won 8–2 to take the title.

Leeds won the Challenge Cup in 1941 and 1942. They beat Halifax both times in games held at Odsal.

After the War (1950–1960)

After the Second World War, the Leeds club found it hard to succeed. This was despite having more money than most other teams. Arthur Clues was the first Australian player to come to Britain after the war. He was signed by Leeds. His matches against Frank Whitcombe of Bradford Northern were legendary.

In 1957, the club won its first Challenge Cup since the war. This showed that the young team was getting stronger. Joe Warham became coach in 1958. They won the Yorkshire Cup, but the team still needed more good players.

By the end of the 1960s, "the Loiners" (their old nickname) became a very strong team. In 1960, Dai Prosser joined as assistant coach. The club signed new players like Jack Fairbank, Brian Shaw, and Dennis Goodwin. This helped a lot. In 1961, the club became Champions for the first time. Lewis Jones led them to a 25–10 win over Warrington in the Championship Final.

Championship Wins (1960–1980)

In the late 1960s, Roy Francis coached Leeds. The team often finished at the top of the league. In 1968, they played in the famous "watersplash final" at Wembley. It rained so much that the pitch was soaked. Don Fox of Wakefield Trinity missed an easy kick. This left Leeds as 11–10 winners.

Roy Francis then left to coach in Australia. Joe Warham took over as coach for a short time in 1969. The Championship trophy came back to Headingley for the second time. They won a tough final against Castleford.

In 1970, Leeds reached the Championship final again but lost to St. Helens. However, Leeds beat St Helens in the BBC2 Floodlit Trophy final that December.

Coached by Derek "Rocky" Turner, Leeds went to Wembley in 1971 and 1972. They lost both times. In 1971, they lost 24–7 to Leigh. Their captain Syd Hynes was even sent off the field. But they won their third championship in 1972.

Eric Ashton coached Leeds for the 1973–74 season. He then left to coach St Helens.

Leeds kept winning trophies. They won the Regal Trophy in 1973 and the Premiership in 1975. The team also won the Yorkshire Cup seven times between 1969 and 1980.

The 1976–77 season had sad moments. A game between Salford and Leeds was stopped. Chris Sanderson of Leeds suffered a fatal injury. Leeds won the Challenge Cup at the end of that season. They won it again in 1978. This was a great final against St Helens at Wembley. Leeds came back from being 10–0 down to win. Former captain Syd Hynes was the coach for both wins.

They won another Premiership in 1979. But these wins were the last for the great teams of the 1960s and 1970s. The 1980s were a tough time for the club.

The "Nearly Men" (1980–1996)

Leeds only won a few trophies in this period. They won the John Player Trophy in 1984, beating Widnes. They also won the Yorkshire County Cup in 1980 and 1988. Leeds lost in the John Player Trophy final four times in the 1980s and 1990s.

Maurice Bamford coached Leeds from December 1986 to April 1988.

Leeds finally returned to Wembley for a Challenge Cup Final in 1994. They played against Wigan. Leeds went back to Wembley a year later to face Wigan again, but lost.

The Super League Era Begins (1996–2003)

In 1996, Gary Hetherington and Paul Caddick took over the Leeds Rugby League Club. This year also marked the start of "summer rugby." The top British rugby league clubs began playing in the new Super League during the summer.

In 1997, the club changed its name to Leeds Rhinos. Dean Bell became the head coach. Iestyn Harris joined Leeds for a record £350,000. He became captain at just 21 years old. Leeds had money problems and almost got relegated. They won only six matches that year.

In 1998, Graham Murray became head coach. The team reached the first ever Grand Final at Old Trafford. They were beaten by Wigan. In 1999, Leeds finally won a trophy after ten years. They won the Challenge Cup with a big 52–16 win over London at Wembley.

In 2000, Leeds reached the Challenge Cup Final again. But they lost to their rivals Bradford in Edinburgh. Daryl Powell became coach of Leeds in 2001.

In 2003, Leeds was at the top of the league. But they announced that Tony Smith would replace Darryl Powell for the 2004 season. Leeds reached the Challenge Cup final again in 2003. They faced Bradford again in Cardiff and lost 22–20.

The Golden Era (2004–2017)

The Rhinos ended their 32-year wait for a league championship in 2004. They won the 2004 Super League Grand Final. This started more than ten years of great success. As champions, Leeds played in the 2005 World Club Challenge. They beat the Australian champions, Canterbury Bulldogs. Leeds' next trophy was the 2007 Grand Final. This was the last game for coach Tony Smith. He was replaced by Brian McClennan.

More success followed in 2008. Leeds beat Australian team Melbourne Storm in the 2008 World Club Challenge. Leeds then won the Super League championship again in the Grand Final. This was the first time the club won two titles in a row. A third league title in a row came in 2009. Leeds won the 2009 Super League Grand Final. They were the first club to win the trophy three times in a row!

Leeds did not win a trophy in 2010. In 2011, they started the season with mixed results. By July, they were in danger of missing the play-offs. But they made it to the play-offs and won the 2011 Super League Grand Final. They reached the Challenge Cup Final in 2012, but lost again. However, the Rhinos successfully defended their Super League title. They won the 2012 Super League Grand Final. This earned them another World Club Challenge match against Melbourne Storm, which they lost.

Leeds did not win any trophies in 2013. But they ended their long wait for a Challenge Cup win in 2014. They beat Castleford Tigers at Wembley in the 2014 final.

In March 2014, Leeds announced a partnership with the Atlanta Rhinos in the USA Rugby League. Leeds would help the Atlanta club with professional advice and players.

Winning the Treble

Leeds had an amazing season in 2015. They won the Challenge Cup, the League Leaders Shield, and the Grand Final. This meant they won the "treble." They were only the third team in the Super League era to do this.

Leeds' win in the 2015 Grand Final was the last game for three long-serving players. Jamie Peacock and Kylie Leuluai retired. Kevin Sinfield joined Leeds' sister club in Rugby Union, Yorkshire Carnegie.

Leeds struggled in 2016 after their best season. They were near the bottom of the league for most of the season. They just missed out on the top 8. So, they had to play in The Qualifiers to keep their Super League spot. The club easily finished first in the Qualifiers.

The next season, 2017, was a return to form. They finished second to Castleford. They then played Castleford in the Grand Final and won 24–6. This was the club's 11th title and 8th in the Super League era.

Recent Years (2018–present)

After the successful 2017 season, 2018 was another tough year. They finished 9th in the regular season. They just avoided the Million Pound Game by a small points difference.

For the 2019 season, the club hired former player David Furner as head coach. After a bad start, Furner was fired. Richard Agar became the temporary coach. Agar's first game was a loss to second division Bradford Bulls in the Challenge Cup. Agar was given the job permanently after he kept the club in Super League.

Leeds started the 2020 Super League season well. But their season was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite this, the club reached their first Challenge Cup final in five years. They beat Salford 17–16. This was their first major trophy since the 'Golden Era'. Leeds reached the first round of the play-offs but lost to Catalans Dragons.

In the 2021 Super League season, Leeds finished 5th and made the play-offs. They beat Wigan 8–0 to reach the semi-final against St Helens.

Leeds started the 2022 Super League season poorly. They won only one of their first 10 games. Before their 10th game, Leeds was 11th in the table. After their 11th game, coach Agar resigned. Rohan Smith replaced him. Under Smith, Leeds won 13 of their next 18 games. They reached the 2022 Super League Grand Final. They beat Catalans Dragons and Wigan in the play-offs. In the Grand Final, Leeds lost 24–12 to St Helens RFC.

Leeds finished the 2023 Super League season in 8th place. They could not repeat their 2022 success. The club also had big losses, including 61–0 against Catalans Dragons and 50–0 against Wigan.

Leeds finished the 2024 Super League season in the same position. Coach Rohan Smith stepped down. He was replaced by Brad Arthur.

Team Colours and Badge

Colours
Leeds plays in its traditional blue and amber colours at home. Their home shirts are famous for being blue with an amber band across the chest and on the arms. Between 2011 and 2013, Leeds wore pink away kits. Money from these shirt sales went to breast cancer charities.

Badge
From 1865 until 1996, Leeds used the city's crest on their kits. They were known as Leeds RLFC or Leeds Loiners. In 1996, with the start of Super League, Leeds changed their name to Leeds Rhinos. The new badge is mostly blue. It has a rhino with the word "Rhino" above it in a half-circle. "Leeds" is at the top of the badge.

Home Stadium

Leeds has played at Headingley since 1890. The club owns the ground. The rugby ground is next to the cricket ground. The North Stand of the rugby ground faces the cricket ground. The Carnegie Stand was built in 2006. It replaced an old stand and made the capacity 21,000. It added more seats and standing room.

Between 2017 and 2019, the stadium was greatly improved. Both the South and North Stands were rebuilt. New seating was added. A large corporate area was built in the North Stand. It looks out over both the rugby and cricket pitches.

Kit Sponsors and Makers

Leeds has had four main shirt sponsors since 1981. In 1994, they signed a 10-year deal with Tetley's Brewery for £2.3 million. The Rhinos' current main sponsor is Leeds Building Society. This is the longest sponsorship deal the club has ever had. In 2023, they extended the deal for three more years. Since 2020, the club's kits have been made by a UK company called Oxen.

Years	Kit Manufacturer	Main Shirt Sponsor
1968–1981	Umbro	none
1981–1990		Younger's
1990–1994		Carling
1994–1995	Ellgren	Tetley's
1995–2003	Asics
2004–2006	Patrick
2007		Leeds Building Society
2008–2020	ISC
2021–2026	Oxen

Club Mascot

Ronnie the Rhino is the mascot for the Leeds Rhinos. He helps get the crowd excited before games and at half-time. He often plays games with children. Ronnie the Rhino also visits schools as part of the Leeds Rhinos Community project. He helps teach kids about sports and healthy living.

Team Rivalries

In the early Super League years, Leeds' main rivals were Bradford Bulls. They played each other in two Grand Finals. Leeds beat Bradford in 2004 to win their first Super League title. But the Bulls are now in lower leagues, so they rarely play competitive games. Leeds also has a rivalry with Hunslet. They play each other every year for the Harry Jepson OBE Memorial Cup. Leeds and Hunslet F.C. played in the "all Leeds" 1938 Championship Final. This game had a record attendance of 54,112 fans. Since the 1970s, Hunslet has mostly played in lower leagues.

Leeds also has West Yorkshire rivalries with Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity. They play Wakefield every Boxing Day in the annual Festive Challenge.

Since the Super League started, there has been a big rivalry with St. Helens. St Helens lost five Grand Finals in a row from 2007 to 2011. Four of those losses were against Leeds. These two teams have been the most successful in the Super League era. Leeds also has rivalries with Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves. They have played against these teams in many big finals.

Player Awards and Hall of Fame

Harry Sunderland Trophy Winners

The Harry Sunderland Trophy is given to the best player in the Super League Grand Final. It is chosen by rugby league writers.

Season	Recipient
1968–69	Bev Risman
1971–72	Terry Clawson
1974–75	Mel Mason
1978–79	Kevin Dick
2004	Matt Diskin
2007	Rob Burrow
2008	Lee Smith
2009	Kevin Sinfield
2011	Rob Burrow
2012	Kevin Sinfield
2015	Danny McGuire
2017	Danny McGuire

Lance Todd Trophy Winners

The Lance Todd Trophy is given to the best player in the Challenge Cup Final. It started in 1946. The trophy is named after Lance Todd, a player and manager from New Zealand.

Season	Recipient	Position
1957	Jeff Stevenson	Scrum-half
1977	Steve Pitchford	Prop
1999	Leroy Rivett	Wing
2003	Gary Connolly †	Fullback
2005	Kevin Sinfield †	Loose forward
2014	Ryan Hall	Wing
2015	Tom Briscoe	Wing
2020	Richie Myler	Fullback

† = Won Lance Todd Trophy while on the losing team

Man of Steel Winners

The Man of Steel Award is given every year to the most outstanding player in British rugby league.

Year	Winner	Position
1977	David Ward	Hooker
1991	Garry Schofield	Stand-off
1998	Iestyn Harris	Stand-off
2015	Zak Hardaker	Full-Back

Golden Boot Winners

The Golden Boot Award is given each year by Rugby League World magazine. It goes to the player judged to be the best in the world. Rugby journalists from around the world vote for the winner.

Garry Schofield was chosen as the winner in 1990. But the sponsors pulled out, so the award was stopped. It came back in 1999. In 2011, they decided to give Schofield his Golden Boot. He is now on the list of winners.

The oldest winner of the award is Kevin Sinfield. He won in 2012 when he was 32 years old.

Year	Winner
1990	Garry Schofield
2012	Kevin Sinfield

Hall of Fame

The Rhinos started a hall of fame in 2017. Up to four players are chosen each year. To be in the Hall of Fame, players must have:

• played at least 150 games for the club.
• made a huge impact on rugby in Leeds.
• played for their country.
• been retired for at least five years (unless there are special reasons, like with Rob Burrow in 2020).

Year	Name	Years	Apps	Tries	Goals	Points
2017	Keith McLellan	1951–1958	215	69	5	217
	Lewis Jones	1952–1964	385	144	1244	2920
	John Holmes	1968–1990	625	153	539	1554
	David Ward	1971–1986	482	40	2	143
2018	Joe Thompson	1923–1933	390	53	862	1883
	Bev Risman	1966–1970	164		611
	Jeff Stevenson	1952–1959	228	67
	Garry Schofield	1987–1996	251	147	64	746
2019	Barrie McDermott	1996–2005	283	40	0	160
	Eric Harris	1930–1939	383	391	16	1208
	Syd Hynes	1965–1975	366	158	156	850
	John Atkinson	1966–1982	518	340	0	1020
2020	Arthur Clues	1947–1954	238	74	0	222
	Fred Webster	1902–1920	543	76	4	236
	Les Dyl	1970–1985	434	193	11	604
	Rob Burrow	2004–2017	493	198	157	1111
2021	Jim Brough	1925–1944	442	34	82	266
	Don Robinson	1956–64	296	63		189
	Alan Smith	1962–1983	469	283		849
	Kevin Sinfield	1997–2015	521	86	1792 + 39 drop goals	3967

Club Staff

First Team Coaches

Position	Staff
First Team Coach	Brad Arthur
Assistant Coaches	Chev Walker & Scott Grix
Rugby General Manager	Matt Cook
Performance Director	Richard Hunwicks
Head of Analysis	James Bletsoe
Kit Manager	Glynn Bell

Club Officials

Leeds CF&A Co Ltd Owner	Paul Caddick
Chairman	Paul Caddick
Chief Executive	Gary Hetherington
Commercial Director	Rob Oates
Finance Director	Peter Hirst
Legal Director	Chris Ross
Non-Executive Director	Jeffery Walton

Club President Andrew Thirkill

Club Honours

League Titles

First Division / Super League:

• Winners (11): 1960–61, 1968–69, 1971–72, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017
• Runners up (12): 1914–15, 1928–29, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1937–38, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998, 2005, 2022

Second Division / Championship:

• Runners up (1): 1902–03

Premiership:

• Winners (2): 1974–75, 1978–79
• Runners up (1): 1994–95

RFL Yorkshire League:

• Winners (15): 1901–02, 1927–28, 1930–31, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1950–51, 1954–55, 1956–57, 1960–61, 1966–67, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70

Cup Wins

Challenge Cup:

• Winners (14): 1909–10, 1922–23, 1931–32, 1935–36, 1940–41, 1941–42, 1956–57, 1967–68, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1999, 2014, 2015, 2020
• Runners up (12): 1942–43, 1946–47, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012

League Cup:

• Winners (2): 1972–73, 1983–84
• Runners up (3): 1982–83, 1987–88, 1991–92

BBC2 Floodlit Trophy:

• Winners (1): 1970–71

Yorkshire Cup:

• Winners (17): 1921–22, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1937–38, 1958–59, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1988–89
• Runners up (4): 1919–20, 1947–48, 1961–62, 1964–65,

International Titles

World Club Challenge:

• Winners (3): 2005, 2008, 2012
• Runners up (5): 2009, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2018

Club Records

Team Records

• Biggest win:

102-0 v. Coventry (at Headingley, 1913)

• Biggest loss:

74-0 v. New Zealand (at Headingley, 8 October 2022)

• Highest all-time attendance:

40,175 v. Bradford (at Headingley, 21 May 1947)

• Highest Super League attendance:

23,246 v. Castleford (at Elland Road, 23 March 2018)

Player Records

Most appearances

#	Name	Career	Caps
1	John Holmes	1968–1989	625
2	Fred Webster	1902–1920	543
3	Kevin Sinfield	1997–2015	521
4	John Atkinson	1965–1982	518
5	Rob Burrow	2001–2017	492
6	David Ward	1971–1987	482
7	Alan Smith	1962–1983	479
8	Danny McGuire	2001–2017	468
9	Jim Brough	1925–1944	442
10	Ray Batten	1963–1976	434

Famous Supporters

Actors

• Matthew Lewis
• Sean Bean
• Mark Smith

Presenters

• Gabby Logan
• Chris Hollins
• Sue Barker
• Clare Balding (TV)

Athletes and Other Famous People

• Wayne Rooney
• Tim Henman
• Boris Becker
• Danyl Johnson
• Nicky Campbell
• Sean Morley (a Canadian Wrestler from WWE)
• Martin O'Neill
• Steve Walford
• Alistair Brownlee
• Jonathan Brownlee
• Alex Brooker
• Jonny Bairstow
• Ben Darwin
• Peter Wright

Other Teams at Leeds Rhinos

Since 2017, Leeds Rhinos has had a women's rugby league team and a netball team. Both teams play in the top leagues for their sports.

Since 2018, they also have a Physical Disability Team. A Learning Disability Team started in 2019. They also have a wheelchair team that plays in the RFL Wheelchair Super League.

See also

In Spanish: Leeds Rhinos para niños