Leeds Tykes

From Free net encyclopedia

Leeds Tykes is an English rugby union club, based in Leeds, that currently competes in the Guinness Premiership, the highest level of the sport in England.

A "Tyke" is a traditional Yorkshire character rugged, hardworking and with great pride in their roots.

1 History
2 Current England elite squad
3 Other internationals
4 Former players
5 Club honours
6 External links

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History

Headingley has a tradition of rugby which started back in 1877. After several youngsters became interested in rugby after watching Leeds St. Johns, later to become Leeds Rhinos rugby league team. Their first game was in November against the Saints second team. In 1889, Headingley was disbanded when Leeds St. Johns moved into the area, built Headingley Stadium and dropped the St. Johns from their name. However, Headingley bounced back and found fixtures outside Yorkshire, in 1901 their fixture list including a game against the famous Blackheath club.

Roundhay were formed in 1924 and moved to their grounds at Chandos Park in the 1930s. Forty internationals have played for one team or the other perhaps the best known being Peter Winterbottom, Ian McGeechan and Chris Rea who played for Headingley. Brian Moore played for Roundhay before his move down to Nottingham and his selection for England.

Leeds RUFC was founded in 1991 after the merger of Roundhay and Headingley and played their first match on 1st September 1992 against Hull Ionians. Since 1996 they have played at Leeds Rhinos' Headingley stadium and Phil Davies became their player-coach. In their first season they finished eighth in the old twelve team fourth division. They were renamed Leeds Tykes in 1998 when Leeds Rugby Ltd was formed, merging the Rhinos and Tykes under one umbrella. Since then they have climbed through the ranks and joined the Premiership in 2001.

They survived their first season after the National League One champions were denied entry into the Premiership in 2002. The next season Leeds finished fifth in the table and made their Heineken Cup debut in December 2003. In their four seasons in the Zurich Premiership they finished an average ninth and had reached a couple of domestic cup semi-finals. In 2005 they were mid table by early November but at the turn of the year following injuries to key players they were bottom of the Zurich Premiership and some way adrift of their rivals. Despite the threat of relegation they somehow made it to their first ever Powergen Cup final. They faced Bath who were top of the table and had never been beaten in a cup final. Leeds recorded a shock 20-12 win to claim their first ever trophy. Following the cup win they went on to win five straight games and avoided the drop by finishing eighth.

Phil Davies stepped down as head coach to become director of rugby in 2005 following another poor start to the season which saw the Tykes lose all eight games in three different competitions. On the 12th January 2006 Daryl Powell was unveiled as the new first team coach. Formerly the head coach of rugby league club Leeds Rhinos, he was promoted from his previous title as the Tykes' offensive coach.

Unfortunatlly Leeds are now relegated after Newcastle beat sale. However they will receive a £1.5Million 'Parachute Payment' and are tipped to be back next year, should they keep the bulk of the squad. Following relegation Justin Marshall was transfer listed by request, and Leeds legend Mike Shelley announced retirement.

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