St Helens Rugby League: The popular sport of Rugby Football is the next emerging full-contact team sport, after football. Since its origin in England, dating back to 1823, it has evolved ever since, and has established itself in many countries, throughout the world, as a popular recreational sport.
While the sport of rugby league is famous all over England, it also is predominant within England's popular clubs. One such club is the St Helens Rugby League Football Club (also known as ‘Saints' or St Helens RLFC).
The St Helens Rugby League Club is located in St Helens, England, and they are a professional club playing rugby league in the Super League (Europe). Founded in 1873, St Helens Rugby League Club were amongst the 22 clubs that had parted ways with the Rugby Football Union (known as the RFU), to form the Northern Union. Their home ground is Knowsley Road, which supports a capacity of around 17,500 rugby fans.
The operations and management of the St. Helens Rugby League Club are presided over by Chairman Eamonn McManus. Amongst the many achievements for St Helens was the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Team Award in December 2006.
In term of competitions, starting at their home town in Lancashire, their closest rivals are the Wigan Warriors, against whom fierce competitions are fought in the local derby held. However, the St Helens Rugby League has played many other various competitions, playing hard to pick up some crucial wins, thus being promoted even to first division status during 1902/03. St Helens golden era was however during the 1960's when the club won both the Super League and the Challenge Cup in 1966. Even today, the St. Helens Rugby League Club is well known and respected in amongst the rugby league circuit.
Some of the major tournaments participated in by the St Helens Rugby League Club are:
- The Challenge Cup
- The Super League (Europe), including Championship
- BBC2 Floodlit Trophy
- World Club Challenge
- League Leader's Shield
- Regal Trophy
- Premiership
- Lancashire League
- Lancashire Cup
- Charity Shield
The present kit for the St Helens Rugby League Club has been modified from their earlier kits. Their Home Colours are white jersey with white shorts with a red ‘Vee-neck' with red stockings; while their Away Colours are black jersey with black shorts with a white ‘Vee-neck' with black stockings.
Amongst the most noted players of the St Helens Rugby League Club history, a few names that stand out are those of Bob Doherty, Dave “Red” Traynor, Tom van Vollenhoven, Alex Murphy, Dick Huddart, Vince Karalius, Sean Long, Paul Loughlin, Alf Ellaby, Steve Llewellyn, Shane Cooper, Ken Coslett, Paul Wellens, Paul Sculthorpe, Lee Gilmour and Ade Gardner.
The coaches responsible for guiding St Helens Rugby League Club through many noted competition wins throughout its history, till the present day, are Jim Sullivan (1952), Shaun McRae (1996), Ellery Hanley (1999), and Ian Millward (2000). Their present coach is Daniel Anderson from Australia who succeeded Millward in 2005, and who was the first rugby league coach to be awarded the ‘BBC Sports Personality of the Year Coach Award'.
St Helens Rugby League Club has thus inspired fans and players alike and has vastly promoted the growth for this popular recreational sport of rugby league in England. Their unmatched success in the various rugby league competitions only display their undying spirit for the game and the trust and support they have received from the thousands of rugby fans, worldwide.
