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The Sheffield Eagles are a professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
club that play in the
Betfred Championship The Championship, known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a professional rugby league competition. It is the second-tier competition organised by the Rugby Football League, the governing body for the sport in England, ...
. The club play their home games at the
Olympic Legacy Park Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, is a sports and recreation hub for health and wellbeing collaborative research and learning. About Legacy Park Ltd. is a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University, ...
(OLP) on the former site of
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
, their former ground. The original club was formed in 1984 and formerly competed in the Super League. The new, current club was formed in 2000 following a merger of the old club with
Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the birthplace of rugby league, who play in the Super League competition. They play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium which is sha ...
. The old club's biggest achievement was winning the Challenge Cup in 1998. Sheffield were the inaugural winners of the 1895 Cup, after they beat
Widnes Widnes ( ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form th ...
at Wembley Stadium on 24 August 2019.


History


1982–1984: Foundation of original Eagles

In 1982,
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
captain and chairman of the Players' Union, Gary Hetherington, missed out on a coaching job at York F.C. He decided to form his own club in Sheffield. The original plan to enter the Second Division in 1983–84 fell apart when
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
pulled back from their promise to let the new team play its home games at Bramall Lane. The club eventually joined the Second Division in 1984, coached by Alan Rhodes, they played at the
Owlerton Stadium Owlerton Stadium, also known as Sheffield Stadium, is a purpose-built speedway track built in 1929 which also hosts greyhound racing The track is in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Greyhound racing takes pl ...
. A competition was run in the ''
Sheffield Star ''The Star'', often known as the ''Sheffield Star'', is a daily newspaper published in Sheffield, England, from Monday to Saturday each week. Originally a broadsheet, the newspaper became a tabloid in 1993. ''The Star'', the weekly ''Sheffield ...
'' newspaper to find a name for the new club and "Sheffield Eagles" was the winner. The first Eagles league game was on 2 September 1984 when they beat
Rochdale Hornets The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...
, 29–10. The match took place the day after the club's sponsor went bust. Hetherington was both manager and player in the first season, building the team using experienced players from traditional areas. He also began signing up promising young players, one of whom was Mark Aston, later to be a critical part of the Eagles' survival as a club and current head coach. By November the club was close to folding because of financial problems. Sheffield beat
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
to set up a John Player Special Trophy first round tie against
Leeds Rhinos The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headin ...
. This lucrative game generated enough cash to see out the season.


1985–1998: Progress and Challenge Cup win

On the field the club progressed steadily, improving their league position until in 1988/89 they finished third in the league table and made it to the Second Division Premiership final at Old Trafford. In the final they outplayed Swinton, beating them by 43–18 and gaining promotion to the top flight of
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...
. Sheffield's record attendance at Owlerton was set at 3,636 for a third-round Challenge Cup game against
Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...
in 1989. In the wake of the Hillsborough disaster, stadium safety became an issue in British sport and Owlerton was declared unfit to stage professional rugby league. Eagles were forced to play their home games at seven different venues including Hillsborough itself, Bramall Lane,
Recreation Ground A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are green spaces set aside for recreation inside towns and cities. N ...
, Oakwell Stadium and Belle Vue. They survived one season in the top flight but were then relegated. This was a temporary decline as they immediately regained their place in the First Division, winning the Second Division title and Premiership. The Eagles slowly established themselves as a top flight club.
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
became home for the club in September 1990, it had been built for the 1991 World Student Games held in Sheffield. In May 1991, Eagles signed their first local recruit, Jason Davidson. In 1992 they reached the Yorkshire Cup final, losing to
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
. Bill Gardner became coach in July 1993 season replacing Gary Hetherington who stood down from his coaching role. In December following a run of five defeats, he was sacked and Hetherington took over as coach again. Sheffield was included on the schedule for a game against the
Kangaroos Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern gre ...
during their
1994 Kangaroo Tour The 1994 Kangaroo Tour was the 18th and last Kangaroo Tour played in the conventional format, where the Australia national rugby league team (known as the XXXX Kangaroos due to sponsorship reasons) played a number of matches against British and Fre ...
and were defeated, 80–2, in the first game following the first test match at
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
. This was the highest score by a Kangaroo touring team in England since they had defeated Bramley, 92–7, on the 1921–22 tour. The Kangaroos ran in 14 tries to nil at Don Valley Stadium. However, because of the tie the club benefited from a significant financial gain. In March 1995, Sheffield pulled out of a proposed merger with
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
following a "breach of confidentiality"; Sheffield were then set to take-over 'The Dons' in a deal with administrators, which fell through after the RFL declared Doncaster players to be free agents. When a
Rupert Murdoch Keith Rupert Murdoch ( ; born 11 March 1931) is an Australian-born American business magnate. Through his company News Corp, he is the owner of hundreds of local, national, and international publishing outlets around the world, including ...
-funded Super League competition was first proposed, part of the deal was that some traditional clubs would merge. Sheffield were again down to merge with
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
to form a ''South Yorkshire'' club that would compete in Super League. This, along with other proposed mergers, were strongly opposed by supporters and never materialised. As ''Sheffield Eagles'' the club became a founder member of Super League in 1996 and took part in the first game of the Super League era against
Paris Saint-Germain Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
. In November 1996, chief executive Gary Hetherington sold his controlling interest in Sheffield Eagles to take over
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
. Phil Larder became head coach, Paul Thompson, Chairman of Sheffield-based Sanderson Group Plc, became the majority shareholder, and Eagles plc became the first rugby league club to be floated on the Stock Exchange. John Kear took over the coaching reins at Sheffield Eagles in 1997, taking them to the Premiership Semi-final in that year. The club's record attendance was set in August 1997 when 10,603 spectators saw them play
Bradford Bulls The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
. On 2 May 1998, having beaten Leigh Centurions, Egremont Rangers, Castleford Tigers and
Salford Red Devils The Salford Red Devils are a professional rugby league club in Salford, Greater Manchester, England, who play in the Super League. Formed in 1873, they have won six Championships and one Challenge Cup. Their home ground since 2012 has been t ...
, the Eagles faced
Wigan Warriors The Wigan Warriors are a professional rugby league club in Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in the Super League. Formed in 1872 as Wigan Football Club, Wigan was a founding member of the Northern Rugby Football Union followin ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...
in the final of the Rugby League Challenge Cup. Wigan were overwhelming favourites with a side containing some of the best players of the modern era, including Andy Farrell, Jason Robinson and
Henry Paul Henry Paul (born 10 February 1974), also known by the nickname of "HP", is a former dual-code international rugby league and rugby union footballer. Paul represented New Zealand in rugby league and England in rugby union and rugby sevens. He ...
. Sheffield coach John Kear devised a game plan that was executed perfectly by the team on the day. Star of the show was scrum half Mark Aston, who won the
Lance Todd Trophy The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to the annual Challenge Cup Final's man of the match. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed i ...
as man of the match. The Eagles led from start to finish, running out 17–8 winners in one of the biggest upsets in the history of the competition.


Huddersfield–Sheffield Giants

Just as the club seemed to be on the verge of its greatest period, following the win in the cup final, things began to go wrong. The expected increase in attendances did not happen and the team did not perform well, finishing close to the
relegation In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...
zone only one year after the Wembley triumph. Finances plummeted and with little outside help it became apparent that the Eagles were not viable in their current state. Just a year after performing the greatest upset in Challenge Cup history, the Eagles announced that they were to fold at the end of the season should no investors come on board to save the club. In late 1999 the
Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
wanted to lower the number of clubs in Super League. One of the measures they put in place was the option for two clubs to merge for the sum of £1,000,000. Fearing this was the only way to keep rugby league alive in Sheffield, the club accepted an offer from the RFL to merge with another struggling team, the
Huddersfield Giants Huddersfield Giants are an English professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, the birthplace of rugby league, who play in the Super League competition. They play their home games at the John Smiths Stadium which is sha ...
, making a new team Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants, who were scheduled to play games in both
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
and
Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...
in Super League V. The Huddersfield-Sheffield side's away strip was in the Sheffield Eagles colours. The merged Huddersfield-Sheffield team did not last the season before reverting to the Huddersfield name. An immediately resurrected Sheffield Eagles would continue in the lower leagues.


2000–2005: 'New' Sheffield Eagles

The merger with Huddersfield was not accepted by Sheffield supporters , and so former player Mark Aston formed a new Eagles phoenix club, earning a place in the
Northern Ford Premiership The Rugby Football League Championship Second Division was founded in 1902 and was the second tier of professional rugby league in the UK until 2003. During the 1990s a third division was established and there is automatic promotion between ...
for the 2000 season, taking Bramley's vacated place. From 1999 to the present the Eagles have played in the semi-professional leagues, first the Northern Ford Premiership and then the second division of the LHF Healthplan National League. Mark Aston assumed the role of player manager, continuing on the field until 2004, when he officially retired from playing. After the 2004 season Mark replaced his father Brian as chief executive, bringing in a new head coach in Gary Wilkinson at the end of the following year. As soon as the new club was reformed, it vowed to never overstretch its finances to achieve success. This made life difficult as the Eagles were denied the money received by other clubs in the NFP for TV rights as part of the deal that allowed them to re-enter the professional leagues. 2003 brought two club records; Sheffield suffered their record defeat on 2 February 2003 0–88 to Hull F.C. However, on 3 August 2003,
London Skolars The London Skolars are a professional rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in north London. They were founded in 1995 and have been professional since 2003, operating in the Betfred League 1. They also run an ...
were the victims as Sheffield Eagles won 98–4, a record league victory to this day. In 2003 the team finished top of National League Two and reached the Grand Final, agonisingly losing 13–11 to the Keighley Cougars. Victory would have sent the Eagles into National League One, but this was not to be and a second play-off against the
Batley Bulldogs Batley is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. Batley lies south-west of Leeds, north-west of Wakefield and Dewsbury, south-east of Bradford and north-east of Huddersfield. Batley is part of the ...
ended in failure for the demoralised squad.


2006–2008: Promotion

Until 2006 the team struggled to match this effort, with key players retiring or being signed by bigger clubs – young players Mitchell Stringer and Andy Raleigh went on to sign for Super League clubs. At the start of the 2006 season Gary Wilkinson was brought in as coach and the team finished in second place, qualifying for the play-offs for the right to join champions Dewsbury Rams in National League One. On 22 September 2006 they beat the
Crusaders The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
at the
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
to qualify for the Grand Final for a second time. In the Grand Final on 8 October they beat Swinton Lions 35–10 to be promoted to National League One. To the surprise of many Wilkinson resigned as head coach on 15 October 2006, citing personal reasons. National League One was seen as a springboard to a potential return to Super League, although this would be dependent on the RFL's continuation of the franchising or
licensing A license (or licence) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another party (licensee) as an element of an agreeme ...
system. As Sheffield Eagles' chairman Ian Swire, remarked, after the 2006 Grand Final victory, "We showed on Sunday that we can compete, and that in the near- to not-too-distant future we will get back into Super League". Mark Aston returned as coach in 2007. The 2007 season started slowly for the promoted team but ended with the Eagles defying the bookmakers, who had them as favourites for relegation, by finishing 6th in the league table and qualifying for the play-offs, where they lost a close game to Halifax.


2009–2012: Move to Bramall Lane

In 2009 National League 1 was renamed the Co-operative Championship. The 2009 season started unevenly with incoming International players delayed by visa problems. However, the Eagles rallied to progress to the 5th round of the Challenge Cup and produced consistent performances, gaining at least a losing bonus point from all their League games. Despite a number of long-term injuries, the team finished 3rd only narrowly missing out on 2nd place; their highest finish since the re-launch, and they again qualified for the play-offs. In the play-offs they were expected to easily beat
Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, who play in the Championship. Featherstone is a former coal mining town with a population of around 16,000 and Rovers are one of the last "smal ...
in the first match at
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
. However, Rovers surprised many by winning, ending Sheffield's season at the first play-off hurdle. On 16 October 2009, the Eagles announced they would be moving their home games from the start of the 2010 season to Bramall Lane, home of
Sheffield United Sheffield United Football Club is a professional football club in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, which compete in the . They are nicknamed "the Blades" due to Sheffield's history of cutlery production. The team have played home games at ...
in a bid to increase attendances and atmosphere at games which now take place on Sunday afternoons. The Eagles moved to Bramall Lane on 11 April 2010, losing by 40–16 to Featherstone Rovers. The attendance of 2,871 was 3 times the average the Eagles achieved at Don Valley Stadium and the club hope to push on from there to achieve a Super League licence. The 2010 season saw the club finish in 6th place, making the play-offs and surprising both Leigh Centurions and Barrow Raiders with away victories before falling to eventual champions Halifax. The 2012 season was the Eagles most successful to date, reaching the semi finals of the Northern Rail Cup for the first time and beating Featherstone Rovers 20–16 in the Grand Final to become Championship Champions. The final was a re-match of the 2011 fixture which was the Eagles 1st ever appearance at the final but were beaten soundly on that occasion 40–4. The Eagles defeated Batley, Halifax and Leigh to reach the Grand Final with Scott Turner, Misi Taulapapa,
Quentin Laulu-Togagae Quentin Laulu-Togaga'e (born 1 December 1984) is a Samoa international rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Sheffield Eagles in RFL Championship. Laulu-Togaga'e previously played for the Sheffield Eagles, Toronto Wolfpack, a shor ...
and Dane McDonald all scoring for the Eagles to bring the trophy back to Sheffield. The Eagles played 3 home games at Bramall Lane in 2012 with the rest taking place at Don Valley including a crowd on 1,895 watching the opening league game against Swinton Lions at Don Valley, the Eagles' highest crowd there since the Super League era.


2013–2017: Post Don Valley

The 2013 season was equally if not more successful that the previous season, reaching the final of the Northern Rail Cup for the first time, losing to Leigh at
the Shay The Shay is a sports stadium in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. The stadium is owned by Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council and leased by the Shay Stadium Trust, a not-for-profit company set up to preserve the ground as a sports stadi ...
, but more importantly becoming the first side to win back to back Championship Grand Finals by beating Batley 19–12 at Leigh Sports Village to retain the Championship title. The Eagles moved back to
Owlerton Stadium Owlerton Stadium, also known as Sheffield Stadium, is a purpose-built speedway track built in 1929 which also hosts greyhound racing The track is in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Greyhound racing takes pl ...
for the 2014 season as the Don Valley Stadium was scheduled for demolition. The Eagles planned to play at the new Sheffield Hallam University facility at Bawtry Road but unfortunately this was not possible and Owlerton Stadium stepped in at the last minute. Sheffield Eagles announced that they would leave Owlerton for the 2015 season due to new
Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
ground regulations and played the season in nearby
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
at the
Keepmoat Stadium The Eco-Power Stadium (formerly known as Keepmoat Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Doncaster, England, with a capacity of 15,231. It cost approximately £20 million to construct, as part of the wider Lakeside Sports Complex that i ...
, home of
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. In 2016 it was announced the Eagles would play at Sheffield Hallam University's Sports Park. The first league game played by the professional team there was against Halifax and they won 26–6. In 2017, the club agreed a one-year ground share with
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
at Belle Vue. The club also returned to being a semi-professional outfit after an unsuccessful time as professional.


2018–present: Permanent return to Sheffield

The Eagles made their long-awaited return to their home city at the
Olympic Legacy Park Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, is a sports and recreation hub for health and wellbeing collaborative research and learning. About Legacy Park Ltd. is a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University, ...
in 2018. The new stadium has a 4G pitch and a capacity of 1,889, although this is expected to increase to meet
Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
(RFL) regulations. The first home game back in
Sheffield Sheffield is a city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...
was against
Toronto Wolfpack The Toronto Wolfpack are a Canadian professional rugby league club based in Toronto, Ontario, who compete in the North American Rugby League. The club originally competed in the British rugby league system but withdrew in the 2020 Super Leagu ...
on 11 March, they lost 10–44. Ahead of this season players Greg Burns, Matt James and
Ryan Millar Ryan Madsen Millar (born 22 January 1978) is an American volleyball player, a member of United States men's national volleyball team in 1998–2008, a participant of the Olympic Games (2000, 2004, 2008), 2008 Olympic Champion, three times NOR ...
agreed to sign on for a further two years. They struck a deal with Super League side St. Helens for players on Dual registration; this helped bolster the squad throughout the season and was considered to be a huge contribution to keeping them in the division. After a seven-game losing streak to open the season, the Eagles finally won, at home against
Rochdale Rochdale ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, at the foothills of the South Pennines in the dale on the River Roch, northwest of Oldham and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough ...
by 38 points to 20. The season, however, ended disappointingly as the Eagles finished eighth in the league with the greatest achievement being staying up. In 2019, however, things were looking up for the side as they brought in 14 new signings, including ex-Eagles
Jason Crookes Jason Crookes (born ) is an English rugby league footballer who plays as a or er for the Sheffield Eagles in the Betfred Championship. Background Crookes was born in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. Bradford Crookes played junior rugb ...
, James Davey and Pat Walker, but lost key players in Joshua Toole (Forbes), Matty Fozard (London). They got off to a flying start as they overcame the challenges of Swinton, Barrow and Bradford in the first month of the new season. That year saw the Eagles return to
Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...
for the first time in more than 2 decades to claim the inaugural 1895 Cup by defeating
Widnes Widnes ( ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form th ...
38–16. However, their League season was less of a success as they finished in 7th place. During the off-season, plans to build the Olympic Legacy Park were put into jeopardy as a court case to claim 100% ownership of Sheffield United F.C. found in favour of HRH Prince Abdullah bin Musa'ad bin Abdulaziz Al Saud over Kevin McCabe -one of the main investors to the OLP project for Sheffield. Because of this, there were fears that Mr McCabe would remove plans for his Scarborough Group LTD to head up construction of a new ground on the site at the OLP. However, these fears were quashed when it was revealed construction would go ahead as planned in early 2020. Sheffield finished the 2021
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
season in 12th place on the table. In the final game of the year, Sheffield were beaten 78-10 by
Featherstone Featherstone is a town and civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, two miles south-west of Pontefract. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, in 2011 it had a population of 15,244. Featherstone railway stat ...
.


Stadiums

Sheffield originally played at
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
. In a bid to increase attendances, the Eagles left Don Valley in 2010 and moved to Bramall Lane where attendances rose to three times more than what they were at Don Valley. The Eagles returned to Don Valley midway through 2011 and stayed there until 2013. Don Valley was demolished in 2014. After being left homeless the club moved to the city's greyhound track,
Owlerton Stadium Owlerton Stadium, also known as Sheffield Stadium, is a purpose-built speedway track built in 1929 which also hosts greyhound racing The track is in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Greyhound racing takes pl ...
in Hillsborough where they had previously played games between 1984 and 1989. The club experienced a dip in form at Owlerton, with there being temporary changing rooms and poor facilities. The club moved out of Sheffield for the first time in 2015 when they made the temporary switch to the
Keepmoat Stadium The Eco-Power Stadium (formerly known as Keepmoat Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Doncaster, England, with a capacity of 15,231. It cost approximately £20 million to construct, as part of the wider Lakeside Sports Complex that i ...
,
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
. Here they ground shared with
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
and local rivals
Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...
, who were playing in the same division which meant the two clubs playing an extra home game when they faced each other. At the end of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
, during
The Qualifiers In British rugby league system, the qualifiers was a competition that was played at the end of the regular rugby league season in the Middle 8 of the Super 8s. Structure At the end of 23 rounds of the regular season, the bottom 4 teams in the S ...
, the Eagles' were allowed to return to Bramall Lane for games against Hull K.R. and
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
. They also hosted Hull F.C. at the Lane, in a Challenge Cup fifth round tie. The Eagles moved to Sheffield Hallam University's Sports Park on Bawtry Road,
Brinsworth Brinsworth is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, in South Yorkshire, England. It is situated close to the River Rother between Rotherham (to the north-east) and Sheffield (to the south-west). At the time of ...
,
Rotherham Rotherham () is a large minster and market town in South Yorkshire, England. The town takes its name from the River Rother which then merges with the River Don. The River Don then flows through the town centre. It is the main settlement of ...
in 2016, where the reserves played their home fixtures. Temporary seating was erected to bring the capacity to 3,000 to meet
Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...
(RFL) regulations. After finding themselves homeless again with work on the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium delayed and unable to find a home in Sheffield, the Eagles played their home matches at Belle Vue, the home of
Wakefield Trinity Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the ...
, for the duration of the 2017 season. The club finally permanently returned to Sheffield and the
Olympic Legacy Park Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, is a sports and recreation hub for health and wellbeing collaborative research and learning. About Legacy Park Ltd. is a joint venture between Sheffield Hallam University, ...
in 2018. Work is due to start on the construction of a £5million stadium in the spring of 2019. *
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
(1999–2009) * Bramall Lane (2010–2011) *
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
(2011–2013) *
Owlerton Stadium Owlerton Stadium, also known as Sheffield Stadium, is a purpose-built speedway track built in 1929 which also hosts greyhound racing The track is in Owlerton near Hillsborough in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Greyhound racing takes pl ...
(2014) *
Keepmoat Stadium The Eco-Power Stadium (formerly known as Keepmoat Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Doncaster, England, with a capacity of 15,231. It cost approximately £20 million to construct, as part of the wider Lakeside Sports Complex that i ...
(2015), (2021) *
Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park is a multipurpose sports venue in Sheffield that is owned and run by Sheffield Hallam University. History The venue was opened in 1992 when Sheffield Hallam University officially gained university sta ...
(2016) * Belle Vue (2017) *
Sheffield Olympic Legacy Stadium Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park Community Stadium is a stadium built at the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park. It occupies part of the site of the former Don Valley Stadium. The Stadium was completed in January 2022, and features a three-storey, cov ...
(2018–2020)


Colours and badge


Colours

The club adopted the colours of the original Sheffield Eagles, playing in red, gold and white. The club's shirts have been predominantly red with either a gold or white V across the front. Away shirts vary in colour with some being black or white. The 2020 home shirt is predominantly red, white and gold. The 2020 away kit is a gold and black strip, black shorts and black socks.


Badge

The original club's badge was an Eagles head inside a crest with ''The Eagles'' across the top and Sheffield Eagles in italics across the bottom. The inside of the crest was yellow with a red border. The new club chose to use a different more updated crest to replace the old dated one. The new more modern crest features an eagle with Sheffield Eagles written below it.


Kit sponsors and manufacturers


2022 squad


2022 transfers

Gains Losses


Players


Players earning international caps while at Sheffield Eagles

* Mark Aston won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Sheffield 1991 France * Frédéric Banquet won caps for ''France'' while at Sheffield 1995 ?-caps *
Paul Broadbent Paul Broadbent (born 24 May 1968), also known by the nickname "Beans", is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and has coached in the 2000s, 2010s and 2020s. He played at representative leve ...
won caps for ''England'' while at Sheffield 1995 France, Fiji, South Africa (sub), 1996 France, Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Sheffield 1996 Papua New Guinea, Fiji, New Zealand (3 matches), 1997 ASL (3 matches) * Anthony Farrell won caps for ''England'' while at Sheffield 1995 Wales, while at
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
1999 France (2 matches) * Matty Fozard won caps for ''Wales'' at 2017 World Cup Papua New Guinea (sub), Fiji (sub) and Ireland * Andrew Henderson won caps for ''Scotland'' including 2 at 2013 World Cup New Zealand (sub) and USA * Will Hope won caps for ''Ireland'' at 2017 World Cup Wales (2 tries) * Lee Jackson won caps for ''England'' 1995 France, Australia (2 matches), Fiji, Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' 1993 New Zealand (2 matches), 1994 France, Australia (3 matches) * John "Johnny" Lawless won caps for ''England'' while at Sheffield 1996 France, Wales *
Garry Lo Garry Lo (born 1 November 1993) is a Papua New Guinean rugby league footballer who plays for the Waghi Tumbe in the Digicel Cup. Lo plays as a winger. He is also a Papua New Guinea international. He represented Papua New Guinea in the 2017 Ru ...
won caps for ''Papua New Guinea'' at 2017 World Cup Wales, Ireland (1 try), United States and England (1 try) * Rémy Marginet won caps for ''France'' at 2017 World Cup Australia (1 goal), England (sub) *
Steve Molloy Stephen John Molloy (born 11 March 1969) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s, and coached in the 2000s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level ...
won caps for ''England'' while at
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
1992 Wales, while at
Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, who play in the Championship. Featherstone is a former coal mining town with a population of around 16,000 and Rovers are one of the last "smal ...
1996 France (sub), Wales, while at Sheffield 1999 France (2 matches), and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
1993 France, while at
Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, who play in the Championship. Featherstone is a former coal mining town with a population of around 16,000 and Rovers are one of the last "smal ...
1994 Fiji, 1996 Fiji (sub), New Zealand (sub) *
Daryl Powell Daryl A. Powell (born 21 July 1965) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s, 1990s a ...
won caps for ''England'' while at Sheffield 1992 Wales (sub), 1995 Wales, France, while at
Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford city centre, north-west of ...
Australia, South Africa, 1996 Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Sheffield 1990 France (sub), Papua New Guinea (2 matches), New Zealand (sub), New Zealand (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), 1991 France (2 matches), Papua New Guinea, 1992 France (sub), France, Papua New Guinea, Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 1993 France (sub), New Zealand (sub) (3 matches), 1994 France (sub), Australia (2 matches), Australia (sub), while at
Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford city centre, north-west of ...
1996 Papua New Guinea (sub), Fiji, New Zealand (3 matches) *
Keith Senior Keith Andrew Senior (born 24 April 1976) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played for the Sheffield Eagles and the Leeds Rhinos in the Super League. A Great Britain and England international representative , he is ...
won caps for ''England'' while at
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
2000 Australia, Russia, Ireland, New Zealand, 2001 Wales, and won caps for ''Great Britain'' while at Sheffield 1996 Fiji, New Zealand, 1998 New Zealand (3 matches), while at
Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...
1999 Australia, New Zealand, 2001 Australia (3 matches), 2002 Australia, New Zealand (3 matches), 2003 Australia (2 matches), 2004 Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 2005 Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), 2006 New Zealand (3 matches), Australia (2 matches), 2007 New Zealand (3 matches) * Menzie Yere won caps for ''Papua New Guinea'' while at Sheffield.
2009 Pacific Cup The 2009 Pacific Cup, known as the 2009 SP Brewery Pacific Cup due to sponsorship, was a rugby league competition held in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. The competing teams were the , , , , . Tonga, Fiji and PNG had their places in the draw c ...
: Tonga (2 tries), Cook Islands (2 Tries).
2010 Four Nations The 2010 Rugby League Four Nations tournament was played in Australia and New Zealand in October and November 2010. The tournament was the second time the Four Nations had been held, following on from the 2009 edition held in England and France. ...
: Australia, New Zealand (1 try), England (1 try).


Other notable players

These players are either "Hall of Fame" inductees, or were international representatives before, or after, their time at Sheffield Eagles. * Gavin "Gav" Brown * Paul Carr * Mick Cook *
Ged Corcoran Ged Corcoran (born 28 March 1983) is an Irish professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of Ireland and a former professional rugby league footballer. He played at international level for Ireland, and at club level for Halifax in ...
* Matt Crowther *
Josaia Dakuitoga Josaia Rabele "Joe" Dakuitoga (born 25 September 1965), also known as Jo Rabele, is a Fijian professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Fijian national team, and a former professional rugby league footballer. In his playing ...
* Carl De Chenu * Paul Dixon * Rod Doyle * Richard Eyres * Mark Gamson *
Jean-Marc Garcia Jean-Marc Garcia is a French rugby league footballer who represented France in the 1995 and 2000 World Cups. Playing career Garcia played for AS Saint Estève in the French Rugby League Championship. He was first selected for France in 1991 an ...
* Damian Gibson * Aaron Groom * Corey Hanson *
Jeff Hardy Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
* Andy Hay * Gary Hetherington * Jack Howieson *
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
*
Aled James Aled James (born 17 February 1982) is a Welsh rugby league player-coach for the South Wales Scorpions in the Championship 1. He previously played for the Crusaders in the Super League, as a or . Background James was born in Caerphilly, Wales ...
* Jordan James *
Jamie Langley Jamie John Langley (born 21 December 1983) is an assistant coach at Sale Sharks in Premiership Rugby and an English former professional rugby league footballer. A Great Britain representative , he has also played for England and with Bradfor ...
* Dale Laughton * Brendon Lindsay * William "Willie" Morganson *
Chris Morley Christopher Morley (born 22 September 1973) is a former Wales international rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He played as a or at club level for St Helens ( Heritage No. 1048), Warrington, Salford, Sheffield Eagles ...
* Martin Pearson *
Nick Pinkney Nick Pinkney (born 6 December 1970) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a er and stand-off in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level for England, and at club level for Ryedale-York, th ...
* Darren Shaw * Ryan Sheridan * Waisale Sovatabua * Gareth Stephens * Lynton Stott *
Whetu Taewa Whetu Taewa (born 19 October 1970) is a New Zealand former professional rugby league footballer who represented New Zealand six times between 1989 and 1996. Playing career New Zealand Whetu was born on the West Coast, New Zealand and started p ...
* Frederic Teixido * Chris Thorman * Darren Turner *
Etu Uaisele Etuate Uaisele (born 12 December 1984) is a Tongan rugby league footballer who last played for the Dewsbury Rams in the Kingstone Press Championship. He plays as a winger or centre. Biography Early life Etu, short for Etuate was born in Tong ...
*
Dave Watson David Watson (born 20 November 1961) is an English football manager and former professional footballer. As a player, he was a defender from 1980 to 2001. He played his entire career for Norwich City and Everton. With the Toffees he played in ...
* Oliver Wilkes * Martin Wood * Malakai Yasa


Reserves

Sheffield Hallam Eagles were formed in 2013 to compete in the new Conference League South. They are a joint venture between the Eagles and Sheffield Hallam University to help young local rugby players progress and serve as a reserve team for the Eagles. They have played matches at the
Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...
before it was demolished, but their regular home is at Sheffield Hallam University Sports Park. In 2013 under coach Andrew Henderson they lifted the title, beating Nottingham Outlaws, having lost just once all season. In 2014 they also lost just one game, the Grand Final against
Valley Cougars Valley Cougars are a rugby league team based in Treharris. They play in the Wales Premier League, which they won in 2017 after defeating the Torfaen Tigers in the league's Grand Final. History They were founded in 2001 as Cynon Valley Cougars a ...
. Between these two defeats they registered 32 straight wins. In 2015, they finished 5th. The Hallam Eagles also finished 5th in 2016 with 17 points from 16 games.


Staff


First Team coaching staff


Seasons


League history


Super League era


Honours


League

* Second Division / Championship: ::Winners (2): 2012, 2013 ::Runners up (1): 2011 * Third Division / League 1: ::: Playoff Final: 2006


Cup

* Challenge Cup: ::Winners (1): 1998 ::Runners up (0): * 1895 Cup: ::Winners (1): 2019 ::Runners up (0): * Championship Cup: ::Runners up (1): 2013 *Tolent Cup: ::Winners (5): 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 ::Runners up (0): *South Yorkshire Cup: ::Winners (8): 2001, 2002, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 ::Runners up (0):


Records


Player records

*Most tries in a game: 5 by Menzie Yere vs Leigh East 7 April 2013, Quentin Laulu-Togaga'e vs
Rochdale Hornets The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...
7 September 2014 &
Daryl Powell Daryl A. Powell (born 21 July 1965) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Warrington Wolves in the Super League. He is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980s, 1990s a ...
(vs
Mansfield Marksman Mansfield Marksman was a rugby league team based at various times in Mansfield, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Alfreton and ultimately Nottingham. The club changed its name to Nottingham City in 1989, and folded in 1994 a year after exiting the Rugby Fo ...
) 2 January 1989 *Most goals in a game: 14 by Dominic Brambani vs Leigh East 7 April 2013 *Most points in a game: 32 by Roy Rafferty (vs Fulham) 21 September 1986 *Most tries in a season: 46 by Menzie Yere, 2013 *Most goals in a season: 169 by Dominic Brambani, 2013 *Most points in a season: 361 by Dominic Brambani, 2013 *Most career tries: 195 by Menzie Yere, 2009–19


Team records

*Highest score for: 112–6 vs Leigh East 7 April 2013 *Highest score against: 0–88 vs
Hull FC Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull F.C., is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in West Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition and were ...
, 2 February 2003 *Highest attendance: 10,603 vs
Bradford Bulls The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is predom ...
, 16 August 1997


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheffield Eagles
Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, jus ...
Rugby clubs established in 1984 1984 establishments in England Super League teams English rugby league teams