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 | |||
| Club information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | London Broncos Rugby League Football Club | ||
| Nickname(s) | The Broncos London | ||
| Short name | London Broncos | ||
| Colours |  Black, White and Red | ||
| Founded | 1980; 45 years ago (1980) (asFulham RLFC) | ||
| Website | londonbroncosrl.com | ||
| Current details | |||
| Ground(s) |
| ||
| CEO | Jason Loubser | ||
| Coach | Mike Eccles | ||
| Captain | Will Lovell | ||
| Competition | Championship | ||
| 2024 season | 12th (Relegated to the championship) | ||
 Current season | |||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Records | |||
| RFL Championship | 0 | ||
| Challenge Cups | 0 | ||
| Other honours | 2 | ||
| Most capped | 202 –Steele Retchless | ||
| Highest try scorer | 109 –Luke Dorn | ||
| Highest points scorer | 774 –Paul Sykes | ||
TheLondon Broncos are a professionalrugby league club based inWimbledon,England. They play their home games atPlough Lane and compete in theChampionship, the second tier ofBritish rugby league.
Whilst the club has never won a major trophy, they have finished second in theLeague Championship once and have beenChallenge Cup runners-up once. They have also won the Championship Grand Final, to gain promotion to the Super League, on two occasions.
Originally formed asFulham Rugby League Club in 1980, they have also previously been known asLondon Crusaders andHarlequins Rugby League. London's home colours are black and red.
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Professional rugby league was briefly represented in London during the 1930s byLondon Highfield (1933),Acton and Willesden (1935–36) andStreatham and Mitcham (1935–36). All these were speculative clubs set up by local businessmen purely as money making exercises, and were ultimately driven out of business through poor finances. Thereafter, the sport ofrugby league in England remained exclusively a northern based game for over forty years until the formation in 1980 of a new club in London,Fulham.
In June 1980,Fulham Football Club chairmanErnie Clay set up a rugby league team atCraven Cottage, with the primary intention of creating another income stream for the football club.Warrington director Harold Genders, who had helped to persuade Clay of the potential benefits of establishing a rugby league club in the capital, resigned from the Warrington board to become managing director of Fulham R.L.F.C. The Rugby Football League (RFL), keen to encourage the expansion of the sport beyond its traditional northern heartland, accepted the new club at once. One of the game's leading players,Reg Bowden, was recruited by Genders to act as player-coach and the club's first signing was Roy Lester, on a free transfer from Warrington. Within nine weeks, Genders and Bowden had assembled a team of very experienced players, most of whom were approaching retirement, together with a few promising youngsters.[citation needed]
The first match, on 14 September 1980, was a major success; nearly 10,000 Londoners attended the game atCraven Cottage to see the newly formed side convincingly beat highly regardedWigan 24–5. On 15 February 1981, more than 15,000 were present to see Fulham take onWakefield Trinity in theChallenge Cup, a club attendance record that still stands. The new Fulham RL team quickly proved to be very competitive and went on to win promotion at the end of theirinaugural season. After that initial success, however, immediate relegation from the first division in1981–82 was something of a reality check.[citation needed]
Fulham played two "home" games againstSwinton andHuddersfield atWidnes in 1983 as the pitch at the Cottage had disintegrated in the wet winter following the collapse of the main drain to theRiver Thames under the Miller Stand.[citation needed]
The club also played several one-off games in 1983 at various football grounds around London; matches were played atWealdstone'sLower Mead stadium,Hendon's Claremont Road ground,Brentford'sGriffin Park andChelsea'sStamford Bridge.
Despite winning theDivision Two Championship comfortably in 1982–83, a second immediate relegation in 1983–84, coupled with continuing financial losses, saw Clay, under pressure from the Fulham football club board, pull the plug at the end of their fourth season. However, with the backing of supporters Roy and Barbara Close and the appointment of a new coach, former player Roy Lester, Fulham RL still had a future. Most of the existing players moved on as free agents, and a new squad began life based at theCrystal Palace National Sports Centre for the 1984–85 season.
After a single season, the club then moved to a new home atChiswick Polytechnic Sports Ground in the summer of 1985, and would remain there for five years.Bill Goodwin replaced Lester as coach from 1986 to 1987. In August 1986, Fulham hit a serious cash crisis and were forced to withdraw temporarily from the RFL only 11 days before the start of the season, but were able to re-launch in September.[citation needed]Bev Risman was appointed coach at Fulham in 1987. The team was in the bottom half of the second division and continually struggled for success, and Risman left after a couple of seasons and Bill Goodwin returned.Phil Sullivan was coach for just two months between January and February 1989, thereafter Goodwin came in for his third spell and held the reins until May 1989 whenRoss Strudwick was appointed.
The club returned to theCrystal Palace National Sports Centre in 1990, this time making it their home for three seasons.
In May 1991,York and Fulham toured Russia.[1]
Prior to the start of the 1991–92 season the club's name was officially changed from Fulham RLFC to London Crusaders RLFC. A slightly more successful period on the pitch begun at this point.Ross Strudwick was replaced as coach byDarryl van der Velde in 1992 but continued as club manager until 1993.
In June 1993 the club moved once again, fromCrystal Palace National Sports Centre toBarnet Copthall arena. In November 1993, London Crusaders imposed a 20% pay cut on all staff to ease financial problems. With the club in financial straights, the RFL briefly took ownership of the Crusaders in 1993–94 to protect their southern outpost, but the club were then acquired by new ownersBritannic Shipping; Strudwick stepped down as manager to give the club's new owners a clean slate.[2]
Despite the club's financial problems, the team proved very competitive on the pitch under coachTony Gordon and narrowly missed out on automatic promotion back to the First Division by a single point. The climax of the Crusaders' era was a May 1994 appearance in the Divisional Premiership Final atOld Trafford; although they lost 22–30 toWorkington Town, the club had gone into the game with the knowledge that an exciting take-over bid had just been announced.
In the spring of 1994, just prior to the Divisional Premiership Final, it was announced that the successful Australian NRL clubBrisbane Broncos was buying the London Crusaders club, which would be renamed London Broncos from the start of the forthcoming 1994–95 season. Gordon was replaced by a Brisbane coach, Gary Grienke.[3] The first home game under the new Broncos moniker was againstKeighley atHendon F.C.'s ground at Claremont Road, though most home games were still played at Barnet Copthall.
For the 1995–96 season the club found another new home base, returning to south-west London atThe Stoop Memorial Ground, home ofHarlequins Rugby Union Club. Despite finishing fourth in the Second Division the previous season, London Broncos were selected by the RFL to be part of the radical newSuper League competition scheduled to begin in the summer of 1996, on the basis that the RFL felt it was commercially essential for the sport's national profile to have a team based in the nation's capital. The regular 1995–96 season, deliberately made brief to accommodate for Super League, ran from August 1995 to January 1996 and saw London included together with the top ten teams from the 1994–95 First Division in a 'Centenary League Championship', effectively a "dry run" for Super League. Faced with much stronger opposition, London struggled and finished second from last.
The club moved once more prior to the start of the 1996 inaugural summer season of Super League, this time to south-east London to play atThe Valley, home ofCharlton Athletic, which is when current ownerDavid Hughes initially became involved with the club. Former Brisbane Broncos coachTony Currie was appointed to the role of head coach. The team performed far beyond initial expectations and eventually finished a highly creditable fourth, withGreg Barwick the top points scorer for the club. That season also brought the best London home attendances since the first season atCraven Cottage.Tony Rea retired from playing to take up the Chief Executive role at the club.
After only one season at The Valley, the club were on their way back to south-west London to play at theStoop Memorial Ground again for the 1997 season. The second season of Super League saw an even greater improvement in the team's performance, finishing a remarkable second to the eventual champions,Bradford Bulls. This represents London's best ever final league position to date.Richard Branson's highly successfulVirgin Group became the majority shareholders and primary sponsors of the club, and the immediate future looked very bright. Highlights that year included victories at the Stoop overCanberra in theWorld Club Challenge and comprehensive league victories againstBradford andWigan.
In 1998, as part of rugby league's "on the road" scheme, London Broncos played Bradford Bulls atTynecastle inEdinburgh in front of over 7,000 fans. Success continued in 1998 with a first appearance in theChallenge Cup semi-finals, losing toWigan. Head coachTony Currie left the club at the end of the1998 Super League season and was replaced byDan Stains.
In 1999, the club went one stage better in the Challenge Cup. Following a famous last-minute semi-final victory overCastleford, the Broncos reached theChallenge Cup Final atWembley Stadium for the first time, but despite taking a shock early lead in the game and performing bravely, they were soundly defeated 52–16 by red-hot favourites Leeds.
The club returned tothe Valley for the 2000 season, but sacked Stains after enduring a long losing streak.Tony Rea was appointed temporary joint head coach with Stains' assistantLes Kiss. Rea and Kiss managed to steer Broncos out of the slump. In 2000, the experiencedJohn Monie was appointed Head Coach. Monie only stayed in the job until the last month of the 2000 Super League season with the club having had mediocre results during his tenure. Rea took over as caretaker coach until the end of the season and Broncos eventually reached mid-table security. Rea then resigned his Chief Executive role at the end of the 2000 season to become Head Coach on a full-time basis.
York made an approach to the Virgin Group to buy the London Broncos in August 2001, with the aim of buying aSuper League place for a proposed merged club to be based in York under a new name, York Wasps.[4] This attempt was thrown out whenRichard Branson rebuffed the offer as 'ridiculous, and speculative at best'.
In 2002, fervent club supporter David Hughes purchased the majority shareholding from Virgin in a major restructuring of the club. The Broncos moved once again, to play their home matches atGriffin Park as tenants ofBrentford FC. 2003 marked the club's firstSuper League playoff appearance, losing in the first round toSt. Helens 24–6 atKnowsley Road.
The2005 season was marked by significant activity off the pitch as the club welcomed new chairman and majority shareholderIan Lenagan who had bought 65% of the shares. This was followed by the announcement of a partnership withHarlequins Rugby Union Club that saw the club return toThe Stoop Memorial Ground, this time formally renamed as Harlequins RL and adopting the host club's kit and crest for the2006 season.
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Ian Lenagan became the majority shareholder in the London Broncos in July 2005 and within a week of his arrival, the team was formally renamed "Harlequins RL". Press releases of the time suggested that this would make the combined club "a powerhouse in both codes" according to Mark Evans of the Union club and provide a "very, very strong future for rugby league in the capital" according to Lenagan.[5] The arrangement between the clubs was described as a "long-term partnership".
At the time of the announcement there were many projected benefits of the two clubs sharing and pooling; both clubs were to play at the same ground and have access to the training facilities at the Richardson Evans Playing Fields,Roehampton Vale, though this was little more than a public park and not actually fit for a professional club of either code. In practice, there was no integration between the rugby codes, no joint player development, and the administrative and commercial resource sharing was little more than the RU club allowing the RL club some shared office space.
The sole integration programme appeared to be a combined fund raising lottery – which folded long before the Rugby League club permanently left the Twickenham Stoop – and two "double header" match days. These were in 2006, in which the Union side played first, followed by the League side, but the lengthy two hour gap between fixtures was a deterrent to the Union supporters and the majority had left the ground before the kick-off of the League fixture. Plymouth Albion and Leeds Carnegie were the Union opponents for the Union team whilst the Rugby League team played Huddersfield and St Helens.
On the field, the Harlequins RL club started with an encouraging 8,213 watching the home game against St Helens on 11 February 2006 but a heavy loss was followed by further consecutive home losses against Wakefield and Castleford, before a thumping 0–60 home defeat to Leeds. It was not until the fifth home game in the season that the team won at the Twickenham Stoop against Catalans Dragons in round 9.
Whilst the club started with a goal of 5,500 average home ground attendance by mid 2007.[6] the actual attendance average was around the 3,500 level.
A 38–18 loss against bottom of the table Catalan, who were in their first year in Super League, was followed by a close home defeat to a Wigan team after each team scored. Harlequins were at this point 9th out of 12.
On 8 July 2006, Ian Lenagan removed Tony Rea as head coach, and moved him "upstairs" to a position on the club's board of directors. In his place,Brian McDermott, an assistant coach atLeeds Rhinos, was appointed as head coach. Results at home improved, taking Harlequins RL to 7th place inSuper League XI.
The 2007 season saw the team pull off an incredible opening win against St Helens and by 7 July the team was 5th in the table, but a collapse in form in the second half of the season – a recurring theme of the McDermott reign – saw the team win only once from eight matches to finish 9th.
At the end of the season,Ian Lenagan took over control of fellow Super League sideWigan Warriors and was given two years to sell his Harlequins shares.[7]
In 2008, Harlequins RL got off to a good start, winning six from the first ten games, but as was customary a second half of the season collapse saw the club won only five from the last seventeen games to finish in 9th again.
In 2009, the club was playing very well in the early part of the season, which extended up until 12 June with ten wins from sixteen, but yet again the rest of the season proved miserable with one win from 12 seeing the club slide from 5th position to 11th.
Home supporters were particularly displeased with the 0–48 home loss to Castleford and the 0–36 half time score v Bradford.
By round 12 in 2010, the club had won only one game from the first eleven and were bottom of the table, meaning that McDermott had seen the team win just twice in twenty three games, and at half-time away at Wigan the team were losing 24–6 before pulling off their finest comeback as Harlequins RL to win 38–26. That result seemed to spur the team into life briefly, with three more wins from the next four, but after that there was an end-of-season collapse to join the start-of-season collapse.
The round 25 game at Catalan saw the Quins bottom of the table with Catalan on a similar points tally and the game looked likely to decide who would finish bottom. The Quins were winning 16–12 with just a couple of minutes to go when Catalan were over the line with ball in hand, but Will Sharp stripped the ball from the Dragons player and Quins managed to hold out for the win.
The final game under McDermott saw Harlequins lose to Warrington at home; 7 wins from his last 38 games.
It was a shock to Harlequins RL supporters to see McDermott's assistant take over but this bizarre decision seemed to be warranted as Rob Powell oversaw three wins from their first three matches, placing them at the top of the ladder.
Away wins at Leeds Rhinos and St Helens seemed to herald a new dawn, however, the club's run of success was ended with a club record 82–6 defeat toWarrington Wolves on 20 March 2011 and the team were within a try of losing by the all-time Super League record margin of −80 held by Salford City Reds.
After that the Harlequins only won two more games in the next six months and the Harlequins RL era drew to a close when the club played St Helens in their final game under that name on 10 September 2011.
The club announced on 1 November 2011 that it would be returning to the London Broncos name from the 2012 season.[8] In addition, the team unveiled a new logo as well as new colours of black, light blue and silver. On 4 February, London Broncos played their first competitive match againstSt. Helens since reverting to that name. The game was won bySt. Helens 34–24 in front of a 4,924 crowd, which was higher than all of their attendances in the year before. In the match, seven players made their debuts for the club.
In the 2012 season, the Broncos played two home games "on the road" away from theTwickenham Stoop, on 6 June vsBradford atLeyton Orient FC'sBrisbane Road, where they were narrowly beaten 22–29 in front of 2,844 fans, and on 20 June vsHull F.C. atGillingham FC'sPriestfield Stadium, as recognition for the workMedway Dragons had done in growing rugby league inKent. The game proved to be popular with 3,930 turning up to watch London narrowly beaten 12–14 by Hull.[citation needed]
Tony Rea was appointed as the club's head coach for a second time in August 2012 taking over from Rob Powell. In 2013, London Broncos used four venues for their home games with the majority being played at the Twickenham Stoop. On 8 June 2013, London once again played a home game at Priestfield Stadium, this time being heavily beaten 82–10 by Warrington in front of 3,041 fans.[citation needed] On 28 March, London had to play a home game atEsher RFC's ground at Molesey Road due to a waterlogged pitch at the Stoop. For the next home game on 6 April, Harlequins RU didn't allow London to use the Stoop due to a Heineken Cup game, forcing them to play Bradford atAdams Park in High Wycombe.
London Broncos had a successful Challenge Cup campaign in 2013, reaching the semi-finals for the first time since their Wembley appearance in 1999. In round 4, London beat part-timersFeatherstone Rovers 24–12 and in round 5, defeated Bradford 25–16. In the quarter-finals, London Broncos beat part-timers Sheffield Eagles 29–10 to book a place in the semi-finals. On 27 July, London Broncos' dream of reaching the Wembley final for the second time came emphatically to an end with a televised 0–70 defeat by Wigan, a record score in a Challenge Cup semi-final.
On 29 June 2013, London Broncos announced the loan signing of AustralianJamie Soward until the end of the season. Soward quickly became a fans favourite with a man of the match performance on his debut v Salford (scoring a try and kicking five goals) and received a standing ovation from the crowd despite being defeated 30–44. Soward put in impressive performances in his short venture in England and in 9 games scored 67 points (5 tries, 23 goals, 1 drop goal).
The club's financial struggles were made evident when, on 20 November 2013, the club announced that it would have to enter administration in ten working days if a new owner was not found. On 3 December 2013, London Broncos announced, "The club will be instructing lawyers to file a further notice of intention to appoint administrators at court, which shall be effective for 10 business days". The club's saviour David Hughes later decided to carry on putting millions into the club.[9][10]
On 13 December 2013, London Broncos announced a move tothe Hive Stadium inCanons Park, the new home ofBarnet F.C., from the start of the 2014 season.[11] After London lost 21 players from their 2013 squad, they faced a huge task to build up their squad again with minimal finances. The Broncos managed to retain twelve players from 2013 and in the off season signed 16 players (five on loan) including Tongan international fullbackNesiasi Mataitonga and former England international hookerScott Moore. Tony Rea quit as coach following Broncos' 11-game winless start to the new Super League season. Assistant coachJoey Grima became head coach, having been asked to take charge for the rest of the season and next.Rea replaced by Grima at Broncos. Despite several closely contested games in 2014, the team struggled throughout the season against teams with far more strength in depth and much greater financial resources, and finished the season bottom of the Super League table, with only one win.
A supporters club (the LBSA) was founded in 2014 in order for fans to have a voice regarding their team.[12] In July, at a pre-match lunch hosted by former BroncosMartin Offiah andShaun Edwards, the LBSA announced its Hall of Fame, with six inaugural inductees:Reg Bowden,Peter Gill,Mark Johnson,Hussain M’Barki,Rob Purdham,Steele Retchless andScott Roskell.[13]
On 13 July 2014, London Broncos were relegated from theSuper League to theChampionship after a 72–12 loss toWarrington.
The capital club had competed in all 19 Super League seasons and this was the club's first relegation since 1984 as Fulham RL and the first time the club competed in the second tier since 1995.
Relegation bought another mass exodus of players, with the club losing many key homegrown and non-homegrown players.
In the 2015 season, London Broncos had a poor season. Head CoachJoey Grima had issues with senior players like Foran, Cordoba, Mathers, Adamson and Lovegrove which meant that by about a third of the way into the season none were selectable. The club trained players went into the double digits that season but of them only Alex Walker and Matt Davis would be successful in the long run. As pressure built, Grima resigned leavingAndrew Henderson in charge. Henderson had too much to do and Broncos were a long way short of making the Super 8 play-offs that would have given them a chance of promotion back to Super League. However a surprise away win in the qualifiers at Dewsbury Rams saw the club make it to theChampionship Shield Grand Final in Widnes but they were heavily beaten 36–4 byFeatherstone Rovers.
In 2016, London Broncos moved to Ealing having signed a three-year deal to play at theTrailfinders Sports Ground, home of rugby union sideEaling Trailfinders. On 3 July, the Broncos beatDewsbury 36–6 to secure a place inthe Qualifiers against the bottom 4Super League teams for promotion.[14] Henderson signedPenrith Panthers playmakerJamie Soward, who had previously played for the Broncos in 2013, until the end of the season. London Broncos finished 2nd in the Championship heading into the Qualifiers for a place in theSuper League. The Broncos startedthe Qualifiers with a narrow 34–30 away loss toLeigh. London then won their first game in the competition, setting a record club score victory overBatley 76–16 at theTrailfinders Sports Ground. The following week, Henderson's team put in a gutsy performance despite going down 28–42 toLeeds in front of a recordrugby league crowd at the ground of 1,845 in front of theSky Sports cameras.
In 2017 the Broncos again finished second and reached the qualifiers for a second consecutive year. The team put in several impressive performances including a close 38–40 loss against Warrington Wolves; lost by just two points against Catalans Dragons away and came within six points of beating Hull KR. However the last two games were both hammerings whilst Broncos also blew the lead against Featherstone to draw on the hooter and only actually beat Halifax. Shortly after the season finished Andrew Henderson, who had successfully managed the club through a troubled period, left to help manageWarrington Wolves.
Danny Ward was promoted to Head Coach and in 2018 the Broncos got off to a flying start with seven wins in a row to go first in theChampionship table with five straight wins, breaking their previous record for the best start to a season with a 68–12 home victory over Batley Bulldogs. A mid-season slump saw the club needing an improbable sequence of results to make the play-offs but six wins and a draw from the last seven saw the club achieve exactly that and make Super 8s – the Qualifiers.
Following a strong 2018 campaign in the Championship, Danny Ward carried off the Championship Head Coach of the Year Award at the end of season awards dinner held at the Principal Hotel in Manchester. The Broncos finished second in the regular season and commenced their Super 8s – Qualifiers campaign with a one-point win over the Widnes Vikings in which Jarrod Sammut kicked a vital 79th minute drop goal to secure the victory. This good start was followed up with key victories over Salford, Toulouse and Halifax to leave the Broncos with 8 points in the Qualifiers table sitting in fifth behind the Toronto Wolfpack in fourth, which meant London faced the Wolfpack away at theLamport Stadium in Toronto on 7 October 2018 to decide the final Super League place in the so-called 'Million Pound Game'. London won a very tense and defensive game 4–2, thus earning promotion to Super League for the 2019 season. However, in spite of handing table leaders St Helens two of their three losses in the 2019 season, and several other notable wins against stronger opponents, Broncos were relegated after only one season back in the top flight, after losing their final game of the season to Wakefield.[15]
With the entire 2020 Championship season cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, theRFL advised the Broncos that their present ground at Ealing would be deemed as unsuitable for top level matches should they return to the Super League, so in December 2020 the club entered into discussions withAFC Wimbledon to groundshare at their newly builtPlough Lane stadium in Wimbledon. The agreement was confirmed in mid July 2021 and the club played its first game at its new home in January 2022, a pre-season friendly against Widnes.
In the 2022 RFL Championship season, London started poorly and for most of the season were in the relegation zone. The club managed to win four of their last ten matches in the league to avoid relegation and finish 11th on the table.[16]The 2023 RFL Championship season saw London finish 5th in the table and qualify for the playoffs. They would go on to defeat Sheffield in the opening playoff game and then beat league leaders Featherstone, who had finished 18 points above them in the regular season, to reach the playoff final. London would then go on to upsetToulouse Olympique in theMillion Pound Game 18–14 to seal a spectacular return to the Super League.[17]
London started the 2024 Super League season with ten consecutive losses where they conceded nearly 40 points a game. London earned their first win in round 11 against fellow strugglersHull F.C., recording a 34–18 victory.[18] Further victories came in an upset against play-off chasersCatalans Dragons[19] and the return fixture against Hull F.C.[20] The Broncos finished bottom of the table on the final day of the season, following a 0–54 defeat toWarrington Wolves, having entered the matchweek one point difference higher than Hull F.C.[21] At the end of the season, David Hughes, who had owned the club for 27 years, announced he was walking away from the club.[22] As of 14th October 2024, discussions and crowdfunding efforts are underway to save the club from closure and continue a professional rugby league presence in London. On 24 October 2024, London were relegated back to the Championship through the IMG grading system and were replaced by Wakefield Trinity.[23]In January 2025, London suffered a shock 17-10 defeat toRFL League One sideGoole in the second round of the2025 Challenge Cup.[24]
The Broncos have played home matches at numerous different grounds around London since the club's original formation. In 2021 they hoped to move their home ground toPlough Lane stadium inWimbledon, as tenants ofAFC Wimbledon, looking to agree a ten-year lease with break and extension clauses.[25] Until an arrangement to use Plough Lane was reached, the club continued to play at Trailfinders Sports Ground.[26] The Broncos finally began play at Plough Lane in 2022.
The original Fulham team wore an all black kit, with a broad white chevron, bordered with red, across the chest. As London Crusaders, the kit used the same colours, but in a variety of designs over the seasons. London Broncos wore red, yellow and blue also in a variety of styles, with red being the predominant colour for the last 5 years of their existence. When the club became known as Harlequins RL they adopted the colours of host rugby union sideHarlequins. When the club returned to being known as the London Broncos, the home kit was black with a light blue trim and the reverse for the away kit. In 2015, the London Broncos reverted to their original Fulham colours, much to the approval of long-term fans, with their home kit being predominantly black with a broad white chevron and a red strip bordering the chevron. The away kit is predominantly red with a broad black chevron with white border. For the 2022 season, the club will play in blue and yellow, referencing the traditional colours of their new hosts in Wimbledon.[27] The club have indicated that they will revert to black from 2023.[citation needed]
As Fulham RLFC, the club utilised the badge of the host football club, which at the time was the emblem of the local administrative borough, Hammersmith and Fulham. The first badge as London Broncos was a red and white crest with a horse's head on the front with London inscripted on the top. This was worn, with some minor adjustments, until 2006 when the club became known as Harlequins RL.
As Harlequins RL, the club crest was the same as that of the host rugby union team. This was used up until 2011.
In 2012, the club reverted to the name London Broncos and created a new crest, based on the original Broncos badge but featuring a horse's head in a modern stylised fashion, depicted in silver and blue.
| Years | Kit Manufacturer | Main Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1980–85 | Mansport | none |
| 1993 | Canterbury | |
| 1994–1998 | Puma | Foster's |
| 1999–2003 | Canterbury | Virgin |
| 2004 | ISC | Bartercard |
| 2005 | Carlotti | Streetwise Sports |
| 2006–2008 | Kooga | none |
| 2009 | Puma | St Mary's University College |
| 2010 | WIN plc | |
| 2011 | Quins RL Foundation | |
| 2012–2013 | MKK Sports | Selco Builders Warehouse |
| 2014 | Jako | |
| 2015 | Towergate Partnership | |
| 2016 | Kappa | Rugbytel |
| 2017 | Simply Air Conditioning | |
| 2018– | Errea |
| First team squad | Coaching staff | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Head coach
| ||||||||
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Also seeCategory:London Broncos coaches.
Reg Bowden: 1980–1984Roy Lester: 1984–1986Bill Goodwin: 1986–1987Bev Risman: 1987–1988Bill Goodwin: 1988Phil Sullivan: Jan–Feb 1989Bill Goodwin: Feb–May 1989
Ross Strudwick: 1989–1992
Tony Gordon: 1993–1994Gary Greinke: 1994–1996Tony Currie: 1996–1998Dan Stains: 1998–1999Les Kiss &Tony Rea: Jun–Sep 1999John Monie: 1999–2000Tony Rea: 2000–2005Brian McDermott: 2006–2010Rob Powell: 2011–2012Tony Rea: 2012–2014Joey Grima: 2014–2015
Andrew Henderson: 2015–2017Danny Ward: 2018–2021Jermaine Coleman : 2022Mike Eccles : 2022 –| Season (As  Fulham R.L.F.C.) | League | Premiership | Challenge Cup | Other Competitions | Top try scorer | Top points scorer | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Tries | Name | Points | |||||
| 1980–81 | Division 2 | 28 | 20 | 0 | 8 | 447 | 237 | 40 | 3rd | Did not qualify | R1 | League Cup | R2 | Mal Aspey | 16 | Iain MacCorquodale | 171 |
| 1981–82 | Division 1 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 365 | 539 | 19 | 13th | Did not qualify | R2 | R1 | John Crossley | 15 | Steve Diamond | 206 | |
| 1982–83 | Division 2 | 32 | 27 | 1 | 4 | 699 | 294 | 55 | 1st | Did not qualify | R2 | R1 | John Crossley | 27 | Steve Diamond | 308 | |
| 1983–84 | Division 1 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 20 | 401 | 694 | 19 | 13th | Did not qualify | R2 | R1 | Hussein M'Barki | 17 | Steve Diamond | 177 | |
| 1984–85 | Division 2 | 28 | 16 | 1 | 11 | 521 | 526 | 33 | 8th | Did not qualify | R1 | R1 | Mike Davis / Steve Mills | 17 | Chris Wilkinson | 157 | |
| 1985–86 | Division 2 | 34 | 16 | 1 | 17 | 679 | 709 | 33 | 9th | Did not qualify | R1 | R1 | |||||
| 1986–87 | Division 2 | 28 | 8 | 2 | 18 | 461 | 632 | 18 | 12th | Did not qualify | R1 | R1 | |||||
| 1987–88 | Division 2 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 382 | 559 | 20 | 17th | Did not qualify | R1 | PR | |||||
| 1988–89 | Division 2 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 18 | 464 | 650 | 20 | 15th | Did not qualify | R1 | PR | |||||
| 1989–90 | Division 2 | 28 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 496 | 488 | 34 | 8th | Did not qualify | R2 | R1 | |||||
| 1990–91 | Division 2 | 28 | 17 | 2 | 9 | 450 | 338 | 36 | 7th | Did not qualify | R1 | R1 | |||||
| Season (As London Crusaders) | League | Premiership | Challenge Cup | Other Competitions | Top try scorer | Top points scorer | |||||||||||
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Tries | Name | Points | |||||
| 1991–92 | Division 2 | 28 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 428 | 483 | 28 | 4th | Did not qualify | R2 | League Cup | R1 | ||||
| 1992–93 | Division 2 | 28 | 12 | 2 | 14 | 534 | 562 | 26 | 5th | Did not qualify | R1 | R2 | |||||
| 1993–94 | Division 2 | 30 | 21 | 2 | 7 | 842 | 522 | 44 | 3rd | Did not qualify | R4 | QR | |||||
| Season (As London Broncos) | League | Premiership / Play-offs | Challenge Cup | Other Competitions | Top try scorer | Top points scorer | |||||||||||
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Tries | Name | Points | |||||
| 1994–95 | Division 2 | 30 | 20 | 1 | 9 | 732 | 480 | 41 | 4th | Did not qualify | R4 | League Cup | R2 | ||||
| 1995–96 | Division 1 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 466 | 585 | 14 | 10th | Not held | R3 | ||||||
| 1996 | Super League | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 611 | 462 | 25 | 4th | Lost in Semi Finals | R4 | ||||||
| 1997 | Super League | 22 | 15 | 3 | 4 | 616 | 418 | 33 | 2nd | Lost in Qualifying Playoffs | R5 | ||||||
| 1998 | Super League | 23 | 10 | 0 | 13 | 415 | 476 | 20 | 7th | Did not qualify | SF | ||||||
| 1999 | Super League | 30 | 6 | 1 | 23 | 526 | 916 | 13 | 12th | Did not qualify | RU | ||||||
| 2000 | Super League | 28 | 6 | 0 | 22 | 456 | 770 | 12 | 11th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2001 | Super League | 28 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 644 | 603 | 27 | 6th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2002 | Super League | 28 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 661 | 635 | 27 | 8th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2003 | Super League | 28 | 14 | 2 | 12 | 643 | 696 | 30 | 5th | Lost in Elimination Playoffs | R5 | ||||||
| 2004 | Super League | 28 | 7 | 1 | 21 | 561 | 968 | 15 | 10th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2005 | Super League | 28 | 13 | 2 | 13 | 800 | 718 | 28 | 6th | Lost in Elimination Playoffs | QF | ||||||
| Season (As  Harlequins RL) | League | Play-offs | Challenge Cup | Other Competitions | Top try scorer | Top points scorer | |||||||||||
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Goals | Name | Goals | |||||
| 2006 | Super League | 28 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 556 | 823 | 23 | 7th | Did not qualify | QF | ||||||
| 2007 | Super League | 27 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 495 | 636 | 23 | 9th | Did not qualify | QF | ||||||
| 2008 | Super League | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 569 | 763 | 22 | 9th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2009 | Super League | 27 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 591 | 691 | 22 | 11th | Did not qualify | R4 | ||||||
| 2010 | Super League | 27 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 494 | 838 | 14 | 13th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2011 | Super League | 27 | 6 | 1 | 20 | 524 | 951 | 13 | 12th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| Season (As London Broncos) | League | Play-offs | Challenge Cup | Other Competitions | Top try scorer | Top points scorer | |||||||||||
| Division | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | Pos | Name | Goals | Name | Goals | |||||
| 2012 | Super League | 27 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 588 | 890 | 14 | 12th | Did not qualify | QF | ||||||
| 2013 | Super League | 27 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 487 | 946 | 12 | 13th | Did not qualify | SF | ||||||
| 2014 | Super League | 27 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 438 | 1237 | 2 | 14th | Did not qualify | R4 | ||||||
| 2015 | Championship | 23 | 12 | 0 | 11 | 538 | 510 | 24 | 7th | Lost in Shield Final | R5 | ||||||
| 2016 | Championship | 23 | 17 | 0 | 6 | 702 | 444 | 34 | 2nd | Did not qualify | R4 | ||||||
| The Qualifiers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 221 | 212 | 6 | 6th | |||||||||
| 2017 | Championship | 23 | 18 | 0 | 5 | 832 | 406 | 36 | 2nd | Did not qualify | R4 | ||||||
| The Qualifiers | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 174 | 220 | 3 | 6th | |||||||||
| 2018 | Championship | 23 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 907 | 423 | 33 | 2nd | Won inMillion Pound Game | R5 | ||||||
| The Qualifiers | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 161 | 164 | 8 | 5th | |||||||||
| 2019 | Super League | 29 | 10 | 0 | 19 | 505 | 787 | 20 | 12th | Did not qualify | R5 | ||||||
| 2020 | Championship[a] | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 120 | 92 | 8 | 4th | None Played | R4 | ||||||
| 2021 | Championship | 20 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 552 | 579 | 21 | 7th | Did not qualify | R4[b] | 1895 Cup | R2 | Abbas Miski | 18 | Chris Hankinson | 204 |
| 2022 | Championship | 27 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 548 | 740 | 17 | 11th | Did not qualify | R4 | Paul Ulberg | 16 | Oli Leyland | 112 | ||
| 2023 | Championship | 27 | 16 | 0 | 11 | 600 | 552 | 32 | 5th | Won inGrand Final | R6 | Alex Walker | 19 | Oli Leyland | 140 | ||
| 2024 | Super League | 27 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 317 | 916 | 6 | 12th | Did not qualify | R6 | Josh Rourke | 8 | Oli Leyland | 93 | ||
The London Broncos Supporters Association (LBSA) inaugurated the Fan's Player and Young Player of the Year awards in 2014, withMatt Cook andJoe Keyes the first winners. The award has been held every year, with the exception of the cancelled 2020 season. In 2022, a Women's Player of the Year was awarded for the first time.
| Year | Men's Player of the Year | Men's Young Player of the Year | Women's Player of the Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Matt Cook |  Joe Keyes | — | [28] |
| 2015 |  Wes Naiqama | Matt Davis | [28] | |
| 2016 |  Rhys Williams | James Cunningham | [28] | |
| 2017 |  Jarrod Sammut | Alex Walker | [28] | |
| 2018 | Eddie Battye | Alex Walker (2) | [28] | |
| 2019 | Jordan Abdull | Rob Butler | [28] | |
| 2020 | season cancelled | |||
| 2021 | Chris Hankinson | Gideon Boafo | — | [citation needed] |
| 2022 |  Dean Parata | Oli Leyland |  Courtney Treco | [citation needed] |
| 2023 | Oli Leyland | Bill Leyland | Courtney Treco (2) | [29][additional citation(s) needed] |
| 2024 | Jacob Jones | Oli Leyland (2) |  Nicole Kennedy | [citation needed] |
League
Domestic Cups
Up to and including 23 February 2025. Current players appear inbold.
| Rank | Player | Apps. | Points | London Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steele Retchless (№ 341) | 202 | 64 | 1998–2004 |
| 2= | Rob Purdham (№ 392) | 197 | 484 | 2002–2011 |
| Chad Randall (№ 458) | 193 | 2004–2013 | ||
| 4 | Will Lovell (№ 529) | 176 | 84 | 2012-2014; 2018- |
| 5 | Alex Walker (№ 567) | 173 | 312 | 2014-2019; 2022- |
| 6 | Steve Rosolen (№ 211) | 169 | 124 | 1991–1998 |
| 7 | Luke Dorn (№ 440) | 166 | 436 | 2005–2006; 2009–2013 |
| 8 |  Hussein M'Barki (№ 29) | 165 | 269 | 1981–1984; 1988–1992 |
| 9 | Chris Melling (№ 465) | 163 | 188 | 2007–2013 |
| 10= | Tony Kinsey (№ 17) | 157 | 74 | 1980-1986 |
| Mat Toshack (№ 335) | 124 | 1998–2004 | ||
| Rhys Williams (№ 569) | 420 | 2015-2019 |
| Rank | Player | Tries | Apps. | London Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luke Dorn (№ 440) | 109 | 166 | 2005–2006; 2009–2013 |
| 2 | Rhys Williams (№ 569) | 105 | 157 | 2015–2019 |
| 3 | Kieran Dixon (№ 518) | 97 | 136 | 2012–2014; 2017–2020 |
| 4 | Scott Roskell (№ 221) | 85 | 143 | 1992–1997 |
| 5 | Alex Walker (№ 567) | 78 | 173 | 2014–2019; 2022– |
| 6= | Hussein M'Barki (№ 29) | 75 | 165 | 1981-1984; 1988-1992 |
| Dennis Moran (№ 379) | 115 | 2001-2004 | ||
| 8 | Iliess Macani (№ 544) | 68 | 140 | 2013–2016; 2022–2024 |
| 9 |  Mark Johnson (№ 243) | 66 | 73 | 1992–1995 |
| 10 | Mark Riley (№ 233) | 62 | 94 | 1992–1996 |
| Rank | Player | Goals | D-Gls. | Apps. | London Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Diamond (№ 25) | 305 | 4 | 109 | 1981–1984 |
| 2 | Paul Sykes (№ 384) | 287 | 4 | 137 | 2001–2007 |
| 3 | Jarrod Sammut (№ 578) | 200 | 4 | 75 | 2015; 2017–2018; 2021 |
| 4 | John Gallagher (№ 246) | 196 | 2 | 51 | 1993–1995 |
| 5 | Kieran Dixon (№ 518) | 190 | 0 | 136 | 2012–2014; 2017–2020 |
| 6 | Tony Martin (№ 311) | 182 | 1 | 112 | 1996–1997; 2001–2003 |
| 7 | Rob Purdham (№ 392) | 171 | 2 | 197 | 2002–2011 |
| 8 | Oli Leyland (№ 652) | 170 | 1 | 95 | 2021–2024 |
| 9 | Brett Warton (№ 353) | 154 | 0 | 63 | 1999–2001 |
| 10 | Chris Wilkinson (№ 47) | 141 | 13 | 73 | 1984–1987 |
Of current players, Chris Hellec (№ 718) is highest on this list at joint 71st with 2 goals in 2 games.
Note: Tries scored before the 1983–84 season were worth 3pts
| Rank | Player | Points | Apps. | London Career |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Paul Sykes (№ 384) | 774 | 137 | 2001–2007 |
| 2 | Kieran Dixon (№ 518) | 768 | 136 | 2012–2014; 2017–2020 |
| 3 | Steve Diamond (№ 25) | 691 | 109 | 1981–1984 |
| 4 | Jarrod Sammut (№ 578) | 620 | 75 | 2015; 2017–2018; 2021 |
| 5 | Tony Martin (№ 311) | 533 | 112 | 1996–1997; 2001–2003 |
| 6 | Rob Purdham (№ 392) | 484 | 197 | 2002–2011 |
| 7 | John Gallagher (№ 246) | 470 | 51 | 1993–1995 |
| 8 | Luke Dorn (№ 440) | 436 | 166 | 2005–2006; 2009–2013 |
| 9 | Rhys Williams (№ 569) | 420 | 157 | 2015–2019 |
| 10 | Oli Leyland (№ 652) | 401 | 95 | 2021-2024 |
Of current players,Alex Walker (№ 567) is highest on this list at 17th with 312 points in 173 games.
In 2014, the LBSA launched the club's Hall of Fame, and announced seven inaugural inductees.[30] As of 2019, the Hall of Fame has 11 members:
|
Up to and including 12 May 2024.Note: The attendance for the match against Trafford Borough on 7 January 1990 is unknown.
| Rank | Margin | Match | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 82 | 82–0 vs. Highfield (H) | League Cup | 12 November 1995 |
| 2 | 74 | 82–8 vs. Barrow Raiders (H) | Challenge Cup | 21 May 2006 |
| 3 | 70 | 70–0 vs. Gateshead Thunder (A) | Challenge Cup | 6 May 2011 |
| 4= | 68 | 72–4 vs. Dewsbury Rams (H) | Challenge Cup | 15 April 2012 |
68–0 vs. Rochdale Hornets (H) | Championship | 17 June 2018 | ||
| 6= | 66 | 72–6 vs.Barrow Raiders (A) | Championship | 29 July 2018 |
70–4 vs. Hunslet Hawks (A) | Challenge Cup | 3 April 2005 | ||
| 8= | 64 | 72–8 vs. Wakefield Trinity Wildcats (H) | Super League | 27 February 2005 |
64–0 vs. Bramley (H) | Second Division | 27 March 1994 | ||
64–0 vs. Doncaster Dragons (H) | Challenge Cup | 14 February 1999 |
| Rank | Margin | Match | Competition | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 76 | 6–82 vs. Warrington Wolves (A) | Super League | 20 March 2011 |
| 2 | 72 | 10–82 vs.Warrington Wolves (H) | Super League | 8 June 2013 |
| 3 | 70 | 0–70 vs. Wigan Warriors (N) | Challenge Cup | 27 July 2013 |
| 4 | 66 | 6–72 vs. Whitehaven (A) | Lancashire Cup | 14 September 1986 |
| 5 | 64 | 0–64 vs. Leigh Centurions (A) | Championship | 24 April 2022 |
| 6 | 62 | 12–74 vs. Bradford Bulls (A) | Super League | 9 June 1999 |
| 7= | 60 | 12–72 vs.Warrington Wolves (A) | Super League | 13 July 2014 |
6–66 vs. Toulouse Olympique (H) | Championship | 8 August 2021 | ||
| 0–60 vs.Whitehaven (A) | Second Division | 19 February 1989 | ||
0–60 vs. Leeds Rhinos (H) | Super League | 25 March 2006 |
| Rank | Attendance | Match | Competition | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15,013 | vs.Wakefield Trinity | Challenge Cup | Craven Cottage | 15 February 1981 |
| 2 | 12,583 | vs.Leeds | League Cup | Craven Cottage | 23 November 1980 |
| 3 | 12,301 | vs. Huddersfield Giants | Super League | Twickenham Stoop | 29 April 2006 |
| 4 | 10,432 | vs. Australia | Tour Match | Craven Cottage | 14 November 1982 |
| 5 | 10,014 | vs.Wigan | Super League | The Valley | 17 August 1996 |
| 6 | 9,846 | vs. Brisbane Broncos | World Club Challenge | Twickenham Stoop | 27 July 1997 |
| 7 | 9,638 | vs. Paris Saint-Germain | Super League | The Valley | 4 April 1996 |
| 8 | 9,552 | vs.Wigan | Second Division | Craven Cottage | 14 September 1980 |
| 9 | 9,481 | vs. Hull | Challenge Cup | Craven Cottage | 28 February 1982 |
| 10 | 9,166 | vs.Bradford Bulls | Super League | Twickenham Stoop | 31 August 1997 |
Note: This list does not include matches during the COVID-19 affected 2020 and 2021 seasons.
| Rank | Attendance | Match | Competition | Stadium | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 225 | vs.Hunslet Hawks | Championship Shield | The Hive | 23 August 2015 |
| 2 | 245 | vs.Highfield | Challenge Cup | National Sports Centre | 4 February 1992 |
| 3 | 252 | vs. Keighley | Second Division | National Sports Centre | 10 April 1991 |
| 4 | 294 | vs. Featherstone Rovers | Challenge Cup | Trailfinders Sports Ground | 19 March 2016 |
| 5 | 347 | vs.Whitehaven | Challenge Cup | Plough Lane | 11 March 2023 |
| 6= | 350 | vs.Carlisle | Second Division | National Sports Centre | 22 December 1991 |
vs. Swinton | Second Division | National Sports Centre | 10 January 1993 | ||
vs. Oldham | Second Division | National Sports Centre | 31 March 1993 | ||
| vs.Doncaster | Championship Shield | The Hive | 8 August 2015 | ||
| 10 | 353 | vs.Dewsbury Rams | Challenge Cup | The Rock | 23 April 2023 |
In 2021, the London Broncos formed a women's team to take part the inaugural season of theRFL Women's Super League South.[31] In 2022, the Broncos finished the regular season at the top of the table, but lost toCardiff Demons in the Grand Final.[32][33] The following season they took the 2023 Women's Super League South title with a 22–10 win over Cardiff in the Grand Final.[34] In 2024, the Super League South became theSouthern Women's Championship.[35] On 7 September 2024, London defeated Cardiff 28–8 in the Grand Final of the Southern Championship to qualify for the National Championship final.[36]
