Royal Air Force Rugby League

Royal Air Force
Club information
Full nameRoyal Air Force Rugby League
Nickname(s)Blue Bombers
Short nameRAF
Colourslight blue, dark blue and maroon
Founded1994
Current details
Ground(s)
CompetitionChallenge Cup

The Royal Air Force Rugby League is a British rugby league team representing the Royal Air Force. They were officially set up in 1994 following an unofficial team set up in 1992 to circumvent a British Armed Forces ban on rugby league. They play in the Challenge Cup and they play their home matches at RAF Cranwell in Cranwell, Lincolnshire.[1]

History

Historically, rugby league had been banned in the British Armed Forces due to rugby union's Rugby Football Union's law stating that anyone who played rugby league would be banned from playing rugby union.[2] Northern based Royal Air Force personnel argued for its lifting in the 1980s but it remained in place.[3] Despite this, some RAF personnel set up an unofficial rugby league team called the "Blue Bombers" without RAF authorisation in 1992.[2] When the ban on the sport within the services was lifted in 1994,[4] the RAF Rugby League Association was founded by Squadron Leader Damian Clayton, who would captain the team from its foundation to 2006.[5] The RAF rugby league team was established at the same time as the British Army's rugby league association.[6] They eventually gained official RAF sanction on 1st Jan 1996.[5] The President of the RAF Rugby League, Air commodore Dean Andrew later became the President of the Rugby Football League.[7] In 2020, their kit was supplied by O'Neills which led to some controversy in Ireland due to the kitmaker's history of making Gaelic Athletic Association kits solely.[8]

The RAF play inter-services matches against the British Army and Royal Navy. They won their first title in 2001, ending the British Army's seven season winning streak which had run since the establishment of the Inter-Services Championship.[9] Their 2015 Inter-Services Championship match against the British Army was held at Salford Red Devils' AJ Bell Stadium as part of an awareness campaign.[10] In 2012 and 2016, the RAF won the Inter-Services Rugby League Title.[11] In 2019, an RAF player died during a match against the Army at Aldershot Military Stadium following a head injury.[12]

The RAF set up a women's rugby league team and some of the servicewomen who play for the RAF have been selected for international representative matches.[13]

Challenge Cup

Year 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Round R2 R1 R3 R1 R2 R1 R1 R1 R1 R1
Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Round R2 R2 R2 R2 R1 R1 R1 R1 R2 R2
Year 2020 2021 2022 2023
Round R1 — R1 R2

Women's

Year 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Round — R2 — — —

References

  1. ^ Hossack, Steve (2020-01-12). "Bentley beat RAF to reach Challenge Cup second round". Doncaster Free Press. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  2. ^ a b Fanning, Sean (2013). Soldiers' League: The Story of Army Rugby League. London League Publications. pp. 15–16. ISBN 978-1-903659-69-4.
  3. ^ "RAF man fires #RL" (PDF). RAF News: 23. 2020-06-12. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  4. ^ "VE Day 75 and the bond between rugby league and the armed forces". Rugby-League.com. 2020-05-08. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  5. ^ a b "Board Members". Rugby-League.com. 1996-01-01. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  6. ^ "Rugby League - Wednesday 27 April 1994 - UK Parliament". Hansard. 1994-04-27. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  7. ^ "Dean Andrew OBE to chair Panel to determine 14th Betfred Championship club for 2021". Rugby-League.com. 2020-11-24. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  8. ^ "GAA kit maker O'Neills faces backlash over Battle of Britain jerseys". News Letter. 2020-10-27. Retrieved 2021-05-02.
  9. ^ Fanning, Sean (2013). Soldiers' League: The Story of Army Rugby League. London League Publications. p. 260. ISBN 978-1-903659-69-4.
  10. ^ Shaw, Gary (2016-06-03). "Through adversity: the fight for rugby league in the RAF". Sport in History. 36 (4). Informa UK Limited: 529–532. doi:10.1080/17460263.2016.1183401. ISSN 1746-0263. S2CID 148451107.
  11. ^ "RAF Win First Inter-Services Rugby League Title In Four Years". Forces Network. 2016-09-26. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  12. ^ Creaghan, Connor (2019-09-17). "Tribute to RAF rugby player, 25, who died during match against Army team". Metro. Retrieved 2021-03-30.
  13. ^ "Wales Women RL name extended training squad ahead of England game". BBC Sport. 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2021-05-24.