LOOKING back through history, 61 rugby league clubs have come and gone, erased from competitions.
Of course, a number of those on the list below existed for only a number of years, but some such as Broughton Rangers, existed for 60 years before disappearing in the 1950s.
The idea for such an article came from the latest exit from rugby league of West Wales Raiders after eight years in the game – two years spent in the amateur realms and six in a professional capacity.
All in all, 45 English, 12 Welsh and four French clubs have all gone defunct. Here are all 61:
45 English teams
Acton & Willesden – 1935-1936 – Folded
Altrincham – 1901-1902 – Folded
Birkenhead Wanderers – 1901-1904 – Folded
Blackpool Gladiators – 1954-1993 – Folded
Blackpool Panthers – 2004-2010 – Liquidated in 2011
Bradford FC – 1864-1907 – Switched to association football and reformed as Bradford Park Avenue
Bramley – 1896-1999 – Folded and reformed as Bramley Buffaloes in 2004
Brighouse Rangers – 1895-1906 – Folded and reformed as an amateur club
Broughton Rangers – 1895-1955 – Disbanded
Carlisle – 1981-1997 – Merged with Barrow Braves and currently known as Barrow Raiders
Carlisle City – 1928 – Resigned mid-season
Castleford RFC – 1896-1906 – Disbanded with Castleford Tigers being formed in 1926
Chorley Lynx – 1989-2004 – Folded with Blackpool Panthers being formed in 2004
Coventry – 1910-1913 – Disbanded with Coventry Bears being formed in 1999
Gateshead Thunder – 1999 – Merged with Hull FC after 1999 season – Reformed as Newcastle Thunder in 2001
Goole – 1901-1902 – Folded
Heckmondwike – 1896-1902 – Folded
Holbeck – 1896-1904 – Folded
Hunslet – 1895-1973 – Folded and reformed as New Hunslet in 1973
Kent Invicta (1983-1984)/Southend Invicta (1984-1985) – Liquidated in 1985
Lancaster – 1901-1905 – Folded
Leeds Parish Church – 1896-1901 – Folded
Liverpool City – 1906-1909 – Another Liverpool City formed in 1958 but folded
Liversedge – 1895-1902 – Folded
Manningham – 1895-1903 – Switched to association football and reformed as Bradford City
Nottingham City – 1984-1993 – Resigned from the league and became an amateur club after relegation from the professional leagues in 1993
Millom – 1897-1906 – Resigned and reverted to amateur status to join the Cumberland Senior Competition
Morecambe – 1896-1901 – Folded
Newcastle – 1936-1938 – Folded – Gateshead Thunder formed in 2001 and were renamed Newcastle Thunder in 2015
Normanton – 1901-1907 – Folded – Reformed as an amateur club
Pontefract – 1903-1907 – Folded
Radcliffe – 1901-1902 – Folded
Runcorn – 1895-1914 – Folded
Scarborough Pirates – 1991-1992 – Folded – Reformed as an amateur club
Sheffield Eagles – 1984-1999 – Merged with Huddersfield Giants in 1999 – Reformed as Sheffield Eagles in 2000
South Shields – 1902-1904 – Folded
Sowerby Bridge – 1901-1905 – Folded
St Helens Recs – 1918-1939 – Folded – Reformed as an amateur side Pilkington Recs in 1949
Stockport – 1895-1903 – Folded
Streatham & Mitcham – 1935-1936 – Folded
Tyldesley – 1895-1900 – Folded – Reverted to rugby union in 1911
Prescot Panthers – 1902-1997 – Folded
York Wasps – 1895-2002 – Folded – Reformed as York City Knights in 2002
12 Welsh teams
Aberdare RLFC – 1908-1909
Barry RLFC – 1908-1908
Cardiff City Blue Dragons – 1981-1984 – Relocated and became Bridgend Blue Dragons (1984-1985) before disbanding
Celtic Crusaders – 2005-2011 – Initially based in Bridgend, 2010 and 2011 were played in Wrexham as the Crusaders
Ebbw Vale RLFC – 1907-1912
Merthyr Tydfil RLFC – 1907-1911
Mid-Rhondda RLFC – 1908-1909
Pontypridd – 1926-1927
South Wales – 1996 – Lasted one season before the switch to the summer game
South Wales Scorpions – 2010-2017 – Formed when Crusaders relocated to North Wales and placed in the third tier of (semi) professional RL. The 2017 season was played under the South Wales Ironmen brand before the team was re-branded and relocated for 2018 as West Wales Raiders
Treherbert RLFC – 1908-1910
West Wales Raiders – 2015-2023
4 French teams
AS Saint Estève – 1965-2000 – Merged with XIII Catalan to form Union Treiziste Catalane which eventually became Catalans Dragons
Marseille XIII – 1946-2006 – Dissolved with new club Marseille XIII Avenir formed in its place
Paris Saint-Germain – 1996-1997 – Dissolved
XIII Catalan – 1935-2000 – Merged with AS Saint Estève to form Union Treiziste Catalane which eventually became Catalans Dragons
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