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2 unusual facts about Leeds Rhinos


Brian McDermott

Brian McDermott (rugby league) (born 1970), former rugby league player and coach of Leeds Rhinos

Rugby league in Cornwall

The 2011 match was sponsored by Leeds Rhinos as part of their commitment to develop the game in the south-west.


2008 South Sydney Rabbitohs season

On 26 January 2008, the Rabbitohs played the Leeds Rhinos at the Hodges Stadium at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Florida, the first time first-grade professional rugby league teams from Australia and England played each other in the United States.

2009 World Club Challenge

The 2009 World Club Challenge was contested by Super League XIII champions, Leeds Rhinos, competing in their second consecutive World Club Challenge, and 2008 NRL Premiers, the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.

2013 Bradford Bulls season

The Bulls had a disappointing start to May as they were well beaten at home (42-22) by arch-rivals Leeds Rhinos, on loan Ben Evans opened the scoring for Bradford as he crossed for his 1st try for the Bulls.

Alfred Watson

Alfred "Alf" Watson from Portobello, Wakefield, is an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1930s, playing at representative level for England, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity, and Leeds, he was a Prisoner of war in World War II.

Austin Buchanan

He is the half-brother of Leeds and Great Britain international Jamie Jones-Buchanan.

Christopher Sanderson

Chris Sanderson's testimonial match at Leeds on the Thursday 12 May 1977, was a match between Leeds and Great Britain, it was attended by 11,000 people and raised £7,000 for his family (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £56,900 in 2010).

Dean Bell

Bell then moved to England in August 1982, playing for Carlisle and Leeds over the next two seasons.

Eric Grothe, Sr.

In 1985 Grothe had a season with English club Leeds where he scored 14 tries in 16 games, including a hat-trick on debut against Leigh on New Year's Day - then only the third player to score three tries on debut for the club.

Frano Botica

Botica joined the Wigan rugby league club in British league in 1990 in what was an exodus of All Black backs to rugby league including Matthew Ridge (Manly-Warringah), John Gallagher (Leeds) and John Schuster Newcastle).

Fred Farrar

Fred Farrar was a non-playing substitute for England against New Zealand, and had been previously complimented on his length-of-the field try for Hunslet against Leeds at Headingley Stadium by Hercules Richard "Bumper" Wright who was watching his first British rugby league match.

International Origin

The RFL announced that the first ever Exiles coach would be former Leeds Rhinos coach Brian McLennan, McLennan won numerous accolades with the Rhinos and his first step as coach of the Exiles was to appoint Leeds Rhinos hooker Danny Buderus as the captain of the Exiles.

Jacksonville Axemen

Rugby league was widely exposed to Jacksonville residents during the Australia Day Challenge on January 26, 2008, an exhibition match hosted by actor Russell Crowe between the South Sydney Rabbitohs (Australia) and the Leeds Rhinos (England) - the first international Rugby League match held in the United States.

Phil Hassan

In total, Phil Hassan played 71 times for Leeds scoring 16 tries, however the arrival of Brad Godden meant there was no place for Hassan at Headingley.

Scott Donald

Scott joined the Rhinos from Australian team Manly at the back end of 2005 as a replacement for outgoing winger Mark Calderwood and made a scoring debut for the Rhinos against Huddersfield Giants on 11 February 2006.

Steve Matai

Matai travelled to England with the Sea Eagles and played in their 2012 World Club Challenge loss to the Leeds Rhinos before the start of the 2012 NRL season.

Stevie Ward

Ward played his junior rugby at local amateur teams Morley Rugby Club, Churwell and Hunslet Warriors, when playing for these clubs people compared him to Leeds Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield.

Super League Dream Team

The team consisted of six players from league leaders Wigan Warriors, three from league runners-up Warrington Wolves, two from Catalans Dragons and one each from St Helens RLFC and Super League XVI winners Leeds Rhinos.

Vince Fawcett

Vince Fawcett's son, Benn Fawcett, has played in the junior ranks of home town club, Leeds Rhinos, he attended Lawnswood School.


see also

2012 Super League season results

Wigan Warriors, as the highest ranked team in the Qualifying Semi Final (a combination of league leaders and Qualifying play-off winner), get to choose their semi-final opponents from the two winners of the Preliminary Semi-Finals in the Club Call, which was made on 23 September 2012 at 12:30 BST on Sky Sports News, where they chose Leeds Rhinos.

Rob Burrow

He has said on Twitter that the kit will be traditional Leeds Rhinos colours (Blue and Amber).

Sport in Leeds

Leeds Rhinos are the best supported Rugby League club in the United Kingdom, their Headingley ground holds up to 20,500 spectators and is regularly filled, with sell out's particularly common, at games against Bradford Bulls, St. Helens and Wigan Warriors.