Leicester Phoenix Rugby League Football Club
Encyclopedia
Leicester Storm are an amateur community rugby league football club based in Leicester
, England
. They compete in Midlands Premier
division of the Rugby League Conference
and their Academy Team compete in the 3v SportMidlands Rugby League
. The club's home is Phoenix Park which is in the suburb of Saffron Lane, South-West Leicester where they have played since 2006. Leicester are one of the oldest clubs in the Rugby League Conference.
The club was founded in 1986 under the name of Leicester Rugby League, after playing in the East Midlands Amateur Rugby League Association (initially known as the Nottingham & Mansfield Amateur Rugby League Association) the Phoenix were one of the 10 founder members of the Rugby League Conference (then the Southern Conference League) in 1997 reaching the grand final in the inaugural season. In the 1998 season Leicester Rugby League was rebranded Leicester Phoenix.
2010 saw the club rebrand itself as Leicester Storm. The Storm name and colours comes from the unique association that Leicester shares with Melbourne Storm
.
During 1993/94, Leicester competed in the East Midlands Amateur League finishing a creditable 3rd. During the season Leicester played at their current home location of Aylestonians. Other successes during this season saw Leicester make it through to the second round of the National Cup only to lose away to Carlisle 20-10 away. Leicester also made it through to the second round of the East Midlands Cup (Stephenson Cup) losing to Doncaster 30-18.
The 1994/95 saw talks of a National Development League which Leicester and particular, Chairman Julian Harrision, were at the forefront of discussions alongside the then London Broncos Development Bev Risman
.
During the season, Super League (Europe) would become Europe’s top level competition and to play during the summer of 1996. With club mergers being planned throughout the country, Leicester saw this as an opportunity to bring top level rugby league to the East Midlands so the plan was drawn up to merge Leicester Rugby League with Northampton Knights
and Peterborough Rugby League. The strategy was for the new merged team, East Midlands Knights, to enter the National Conference League
Division 2 and then progress up to Super League. A friendly fixture against Hull was also penned in for the team to get some top level experience. However, due to administrative and travel issues amongst players and staff the plans for the East Midlands Knights were shelved and local level development was seen as the best way for the development of rugby league in Leicester. During the season, Leicester saw two of their star players, Curtis Thomas and Laurence Taylor being signed by Super League club Sheffield Eagles
.
The 1995-96 season would be the last that Leicester would play during the winter and the first season that Leicester would put together a junior team and make strides with junior development within the city. Still playing at Aylestionians, through club coach Paul Walmsley and chairman Julian Harrison, junior development climaxed with a junior camp held in Sheffield, which was run in partnership with Sheffield Eagles
and Leicester City Council. This offered Leicester youngsters an opportunity to receive professional coaching and tuition.
). The conference was split into two divisions: East and Central. Leicester also moved from Aylestonians to the Saffron Lane Athletics Stadium
, which housed a 3,000 seater stand.
Under the stewardship of Walmsley, Leicester won the inaugural Central Division which saw them face the winners of the East Division, North London Skolars
in the Grand Final which was played at Staines RUFC. Leicester came out 32-16 losers.
1998 saw a Phoenix born. Clubs were asked by the RLC to brand themselves, Leicester Rugby League were duly rebranded Leicester Phoenix Rugby League. Phoenix started their campaign with a friendly match against the Russian Champions Strela
which saw them narrowly lose at Saffron Lane
. Phoenix were able to field an under-13s and an under-15s junior sides.
During the 1999 season, the Phoenix played in front of their biggest crowd to date. On the Super League road show, the Bradford Bulls
played London Broncos at Leicester Tigers
RUFC home ground of Welford Road
. The Phoenix were asked to play their Conference game against Coventry Bears
as a pre-game to the Super League encounter. In front of 7,000 fans, the Phoenix toppled the Bears 25-18 in what was to start a ferocious rivalry between the clubs. This season saw the Phoenix move back to Aylestonians.
During the 90s, Leicester played host to four rugby league nines
tournaments. Local and National Club Sides were invited to enter the tournament from across the country by organiser Paul Walmsley. The First Tournament saw Wakefield lift the inaugural trophy in 1995, Leicester won the trophy in 1996 and 1997 and a side from Castleford winning the last tournament in 1998.
2000 saw 24 clubs, split into 4 regions, contest the Rugby League Conference
. Leicester’s previous Chairman Julian Harrison was appointed the new Conference Administrator. During the upcoming years, the Phoenix struggled to find a home location which would match their desire to progress forward and help to develop rugby league within Leicester. From 2000 to 2009, Phoenix have been based at no less than six locations throughout the city.
Success came to Leicester during the 2004 season when Phoenix won the RLC South Midlands division.
2006 season, the Phoenix were invited to join the Midlands Premier
which they finished in 3rd place. 2006 also saw Centre Karl Wesley represent the England Lionhearts against Serbia scoring in the 46-6 win in the Radnički Stadium, Belgrade.
Playing at Leicester Forests' Hinckley Road Ground. Phoenix faced a challenging season which saw the club finish 8th in the Midlands Premier.
During the 2008 season, the Phoenix competed in the Midland Premier division. After reaching an agreement with Aylestone St. James RUFC, all of their home games where played at their Covert Lane Ground in the Scraptoft area of the city. On the playing front, the Phoenix had a mixed playing season, the highlight being the defeat of the Bedford Tigers
at home, whom, in the away fixture at the start of season gave the Phoenix their biggest defeat of the season.
The Phoenix battled to 7th spot in the Midlands Premier Conference. Off the pitch, international honors went to Richard Knight who represented Scotland Students
at the Students Rugby League World Cup in Australia and also Scotland A in the Home Nations Tournament.
During the 2009 pre-season, much work went on re-structuring the club with a new committee formed under the stewardship of the newly appointed Club Chairman, Mark Sloan. Former Coventry Bears
captain and coach Ty Watson joined the Phoenix as Director of Rugby League.
During the 2009 season, Phoenix played in the Midlands Premier division under the leadership of former Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain Student player Greg Hurst.
Under new coach Watson, Leicester topped the Midlands Premier division after round 5. However, due to an injury crisis in the second half of the season the Phoenix slipped down the Conference finishing a 5th and just outside the play-offs.
The season also saw the birth of the Academy team who played fixtures in the 3v Sport Midlands Merit League
. In total, over 30 players played in Academy games with ages ranging from 16 to 40. The injury crisis within the First Grade allowed many Academy Players to be bled into the First Grade which can only be good in the long term development of the Phoenix.
Off the field, developments and huge strides were made in development and financial security. The junior development within Leicester made huge strides through the creation of the Phoenix Festival of Rugby League hosted by New College, Leicester. This event attracted over 40 children of Primary School age and exposed Rugby League to children, teachers and parents who otherwise would not have access to it. The Phoenix were also back in the tabloids through regular news reports in the regions premier newspaper, the Leicester Mercury
. The Storm formed a partnership with Sports Company 3v Sport which saw the leading sportwear company sponsor the club and provide support with marketing and fundraising.
At the end of the season, Chris Baron who was signed by engage Super League side Warrington Wolves
to become the Head of Strength and Conditioning and also to former Phoenix player Michael Coady
who had a brief stint with the club during 2008 who was signed by Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos
.
2010 saw the club rebrand itself as Leicester Storm. The Storm name and colours came from the association that Leicester shares with Melbourne Storm
. After meeting Melbourne Storm
Operations Manager Frank Ponnissi in Leeds the cub decided to rebrand the club to signal it’s rebirth and herald in a new era. The club also forged link with Professional Team Sheffield Eagles
which saw the clubs share coaching resources and methods as well as providing a clear pathway for talented players and coaches. An Academy team which was started in 2009 went onto play a full season(for new and young players) and went onto win the 3v Sport Midlands League. There was also a record number of players make representative teams including one making a Great Britain appearance plus three players signed professional contracts with Championship side Sheffield Eagles,
In 2011 the Storm Employed in partnership with the RFL a fulltime Community Sports Coach plus started a started a full junior programme including U11s, U13s, U14s, U16’s and U18’s. 12 players this year have made representative teams with 2 currently considering contracts from Sheffield Eagles. The Academy team had another great year making the 3v Sport Midlands Rugby League Finals losing to the eventual winners. The 1st Grade side enjoyed their most successful season for many years making the Grand Final against Brsitol Sonics. This game would be the last for Head Coach Ty Watson who has decided to hang up his boots after 20 years playing the game.
Leicester
Leicester is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. They compete in Midlands Premier
Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier
The Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands.It was first contested in 2006. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League....
division of the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
and their Academy Team compete in the 3v SportMidlands Rugby League
Midlands Rugby League
The 3vSport.com Midlands Rugby League is a summer rugby league tournament in the Midlands region of England. It is a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and a successor league to the Midlands Merit League...
. The club's home is Phoenix Park which is in the suburb of Saffron Lane, South-West Leicester where they have played since 2006. Leicester are one of the oldest clubs in the Rugby League Conference.
The club was founded in 1986 under the name of Leicester Rugby League, after playing in the East Midlands Amateur Rugby League Association (initially known as the Nottingham & Mansfield Amateur Rugby League Association) the Phoenix were one of the 10 founder members of the Rugby League Conference (then the Southern Conference League) in 1997 reaching the grand final in the inaugural season. In the 1998 season Leicester Rugby League was rebranded Leicester Phoenix.
2010 saw the club rebrand itself as Leicester Storm. The Storm name and colours comes from the unique association that Leicester shares with Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
.
History
The club was founded in 1986 and Leicester lifted their first silverware in the form of the Nottingham and Mansfield Amateur Rugby League Association (NAMARLA) Division Championship in the 1987/88 seasonDuring 1993/94, Leicester competed in the East Midlands Amateur League finishing a creditable 3rd. During the season Leicester played at their current home location of Aylestonians. Other successes during this season saw Leicester make it through to the second round of the National Cup only to lose away to Carlisle 20-10 away. Leicester also made it through to the second round of the East Midlands Cup (Stephenson Cup) losing to Doncaster 30-18.
The 1994/95 saw talks of a National Development League which Leicester and particular, Chairman Julian Harrision, were at the forefront of discussions alongside the then London Broncos Development Bev Risman
Bev Risman
Augustus Beverley Walter Risman is a former rugby union and rugby league footballer, a dual-code international, who later became a coach....
.
During the season, Super League (Europe) would become Europe’s top level competition and to play during the summer of 1996. With club mergers being planned throughout the country, Leicester saw this as an opportunity to bring top level rugby league to the East Midlands so the plan was drawn up to merge Leicester Rugby League with Northampton Knights
Northampton Casuals
Northampton Demons is a rugby league club based in Northampton. They play in the Rugby League Conference.-Background - Nene Valley and Northampton Knights:...
and Peterborough Rugby League. The strategy was for the new merged team, East Midlands Knights, to enter the National Conference League
National Conference League
The National Conference League is the top league in the pyramid of amateur rugby leagues run by the British Amateur Rugby League Association...
Division 2 and then progress up to Super League. A friendly fixture against Hull was also penned in for the team to get some top level experience. However, due to administrative and travel issues amongst players and staff the plans for the East Midlands Knights were shelved and local level development was seen as the best way for the development of rugby league in Leicester. During the season, Leicester saw two of their star players, Curtis Thomas and Laurence Taylor being signed by Super League club Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
.
The 1995-96 season would be the last that Leicester would play during the winter and the first season that Leicester would put together a junior team and make strides with junior development within the city. Still playing at Aylestionians, through club coach Paul Walmsley and chairman Julian Harrison, junior development climaxed with a junior camp held in Sheffield, which was run in partnership with Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
and Leicester City Council. This offered Leicester youngsters an opportunity to receive professional coaching and tuition.
1997 - the beginning of summer Rugby League
Leicester, a club with a history of initiative thinking became one of the ten founder members of the then Southern Conference League (since 1998 it has been known as the Rugby League ConferenceRugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
). The conference was split into two divisions: East and Central. Leicester also moved from Aylestonians to the Saffron Lane Athletics Stadium
Saffron Lane sports centre
Saffron Lane sports centre is a large 8 lane 400 metre synthetic floodlight lit running track which includes a steeplechase water jump, in Leicester, England. It is home to the city's top two athletics clubs, the sprint and field specialists Leicester Coritanian A.C. and the middle and long...
, which housed a 3,000 seater stand.
Under the stewardship of Walmsley, Leicester won the inaugural Central Division which saw them face the winners of the East Division, North London Skolars
London Skolars
London Skolars are a rugby league club based at the New River Stadium, Wood Green, Haringey in North London. They were founded in 1995 and have been semi-professional since 2003, operating in Championship One...
in the Grand Final which was played at Staines RUFC. Leicester came out 32-16 losers.
1998 saw a Phoenix born. Clubs were asked by the RLC to brand themselves, Leicester Rugby League were duly rebranded Leicester Phoenix Rugby League. Phoenix started their campaign with a friendly match against the Russian Champions Strela
Kazan Arrows
Kazan Arrows, sometimes called Strela Kazan, are a rugby league and rugby union club from Kazan, Tatarstan in Russia. They were formed in 1989 and currently play in the Russian Championship, the top-tier of rugby league in Russia....
which saw them narrowly lose at Saffron Lane
Saffron Lane sports centre
Saffron Lane sports centre is a large 8 lane 400 metre synthetic floodlight lit running track which includes a steeplechase water jump, in Leicester, England. It is home to the city's top two athletics clubs, the sprint and field specialists Leicester Coritanian A.C. and the middle and long...
. Phoenix were able to field an under-13s and an under-15s junior sides.
During the 1999 season, the Phoenix played in front of their biggest crowd to date. On the Super League road show, the Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls
Bradford Bulls is a professional rugby league club based in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. They play in the European Super League and are currently joint 10th in the league....
played London Broncos at Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
RUFC home ground of Welford Road
Welford Road Stadium
Welford Road is a rugby union stadium in Leicester, England and is the home ground for Leicester Tigers. It is located between Aylestone Road and Welford Road on the edge of the city centre...
. The Phoenix were asked to play their Conference game against Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears are a rugby league club, formed in 1998. They have a proud history pioneering rugby league in the Midlands, their major honours include winning the National League 3 title in 2004 and the Rugby League Conference in 2002...
as a pre-game to the Super League encounter. In front of 7,000 fans, the Phoenix toppled the Bears 25-18 in what was to start a ferocious rivalry between the clubs. This season saw the Phoenix move back to Aylestonians.
During the 90s, Leicester played host to four rugby league nines
Rugby league nines
Rugby league nines is a version of rugby league football played with nine players on each side. The game is substantially the same as full rugby league, with some differences in rules and shorter games. Nines is usually played in festivals, as its shorter game play allows for a tournament to be...
tournaments. Local and National Club Sides were invited to enter the tournament from across the country by organiser Paul Walmsley. The First Tournament saw Wakefield lift the inaugural trophy in 1995, Leicester won the trophy in 1996 and 1997 and a side from Castleford winning the last tournament in 1998.
2000 saw 24 clubs, split into 4 regions, contest the Rugby League Conference
Rugby League Conference
The Rugby League Conference , was a series of regionally based divisions of amateur rugby league teams spread throughout England, Scotland and Wales.The RLC was founded as the 10-team Southern Conference League in 1997, with teams from the southern midlands and the...
. Leicester’s previous Chairman Julian Harrison was appointed the new Conference Administrator. During the upcoming years, the Phoenix struggled to find a home location which would match their desire to progress forward and help to develop rugby league within Leicester. From 2000 to 2009, Phoenix have been based at no less than six locations throughout the city.
Success came to Leicester during the 2004 season when Phoenix won the RLC South Midlands division.
2006 season, the Phoenix were invited to join the Midlands Premier
Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier
The Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier is a division in the Rugby League Conference. It is the highest level of amateur rugby league in the English Midlands.It was first contested in 2006. Many of the clubs run juniors in the Midlands Junior League....
which they finished in 3rd place. 2006 also saw Centre Karl Wesley represent the England Lionhearts against Serbia scoring in the 46-6 win in the Radnički Stadium, Belgrade.
Playing at Leicester Forests' Hinckley Road Ground. Phoenix faced a challenging season which saw the club finish 8th in the Midlands Premier.
During the 2008 season, the Phoenix competed in the Midland Premier division. After reaching an agreement with Aylestone St. James RUFC, all of their home games where played at their Covert Lane Ground in the Scraptoft area of the city. On the playing front, the Phoenix had a mixed playing season, the highlight being the defeat of the Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers
Bedford Tigers RLFC is a rugby league club based in Bedford, England. The first team plays in the Rugby League Conference, with a second team in the London League.- History :...
at home, whom, in the away fixture at the start of season gave the Phoenix their biggest defeat of the season.
The Phoenix battled to 7th spot in the Midlands Premier Conference. Off the pitch, international honors went to Richard Knight who represented Scotland Students
Scotland Rugby League
The Scottish Rugby Football League is the governing body for rugby league football in Scotland. It administers the Scotland national rugby league teams jointly with the Rugby Football League....
at the Students Rugby League World Cup in Australia and also Scotland A in the Home Nations Tournament.
During the 2009 pre-season, much work went on re-structuring the club with a new committee formed under the stewardship of the newly appointed Club Chairman, Mark Sloan. Former Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears
Coventry Bears are a rugby league club, formed in 1998. They have a proud history pioneering rugby league in the Midlands, their major honours include winning the National League 3 title in 2004 and the Rugby League Conference in 2002...
captain and coach Ty Watson joined the Phoenix as Director of Rugby League.
During the 2009 season, Phoenix played in the Midlands Premier division under the leadership of former Sheffield Eagles and Great Britain Student player Greg Hurst.
Under new coach Watson, Leicester topped the Midlands Premier division after round 5. However, due to an injury crisis in the second half of the season the Phoenix slipped down the Conference finishing a 5th and just outside the play-offs.
The season also saw the birth of the Academy team who played fixtures in the 3v Sport Midlands Merit League
Midlands Merit League
The Midlands Merit League, was a summer rugby league tournament in England held between 2006 and 2009. It was a feeder league to the Rugby League Conference and had a season that runs from April to August...
. In total, over 30 players played in Academy games with ages ranging from 16 to 40. The injury crisis within the First Grade allowed many Academy Players to be bled into the First Grade which can only be good in the long term development of the Phoenix.
Off the field, developments and huge strides were made in development and financial security. The junior development within Leicester made huge strides through the creation of the Phoenix Festival of Rugby League hosted by New College, Leicester. This event attracted over 40 children of Primary School age and exposed Rugby League to children, teachers and parents who otherwise would not have access to it. The Phoenix were also back in the tabloids through regular news reports in the regions premier newspaper, the Leicester Mercury
Leicester Mercury
The Leicester Mercury is a British regional newspaper, owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust, for the city of Leicester and the counties of Leicestershire and Rutland...
. The Storm formed a partnership with Sports Company 3v Sport which saw the leading sportwear company sponsor the club and provide support with marketing and fundraising.
At the end of the season, Chris Baron who was signed by engage Super League side Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves
Warrington Wolves are a professional rugby league football club based in Warrington, England that competes in Super League. They play at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, having moved there from Wilderspool in 2003....
to become the Head of Strength and Conditioning and also to former Phoenix player Michael Coady
Michael Coady (rugby league)
Michael Coady is an English rugby league footballer for Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League. He plays at .He attended Bristol Grammar School and Loughborough University.-Career:...
who had a brief stint with the club during 2008 who was signed by Super League Champions Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
.
2010 - From the ashes of the Phoenix, a Storm is brewing...
After a successful period as Club Chairman in which he guided the club through some very challenging and exciting times, Mark Sloan stepped down from the position as Club Chairman. At the 2009 AGM, in his place Ty Watson was elected as the new Club Chairman from his position as Director of Rugby for the 2010 season.2010 saw the club rebrand itself as Leicester Storm. The Storm name and colours came from the association that Leicester shares with Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
. After meeting Melbourne Storm
Melbourne Storm
The Melbourne Storm are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the city of Melbourne. They are the first fully professional rugby league team based in the Australian rules football-dominated state of Victoria....
Operations Manager Frank Ponnissi in Leeds the cub decided to rebrand the club to signal it’s rebirth and herald in a new era. The club also forged link with Professional Team Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles
Sheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
which saw the clubs share coaching resources and methods as well as providing a clear pathway for talented players and coaches. An Academy team which was started in 2009 went onto play a full season(for new and young players) and went onto win the 3v Sport Midlands League. There was also a record number of players make representative teams including one making a Great Britain appearance plus three players signed professional contracts with Championship side Sheffield Eagles,
In 2011 the Storm Employed in partnership with the RFL a fulltime Community Sports Coach plus started a started a full junior programme including U11s, U13s, U14s, U16’s and U18’s. 12 players this year have made representative teams with 2 currently considering contracts from Sheffield Eagles. The Academy team had another great year making the 3v Sport Midlands Rugby League Finals losing to the eventual winners. The 1st Grade side enjoyed their most successful season for many years making the Grand Final against Brsitol Sonics. This game would be the last for Head Coach Ty Watson who has decided to hang up his boots after 20 years playing the game.
Notable players
- Ty WatsonTy WatsonTy James Watson is a rugby league player and more recently coach.- Playing career :Canning Bulldogs, WARL 1991-95Western Reds, Super League 1996-1998Fremantle Roosters, WARL 1998-1999...
: Ty is a former Super LeagueSuper LeagueSuper League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
player with Australian team Western RedsWestern Reds-2009 squad:2009 Bundy Red Cup Squad*Aaron Barnes*Matt Doeg*Gareth Morton*Joel Lillyman*Ben McCrone*Joel Freeman*Daniel Jennings*Isaac Thomas*James Blake*James McGowan*Joel Rawlins*Jon Phipps*Michael Kestel*Carlin Millar*Nathan Searle*Roddy Tahu...
who has played for the club since 2009 when he took over the coaching reigns.
- Greg HurstGreg HurstGreg Hurst is an American journalist. He is currently employed by CBS affiliate KHOU-TV in Houston, Texas, where he has been since leaving New York's WABC-TV in 1997. Hurst anchors KHOU's 5, 6, and 10 p.m...
: Greg is a Sheffield EaglesSheffield EaglesSheffield Eagles RLFC are an English rugby league club based in the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield. They currently play in the Co-operative Championship. Their home games are played at Bramall Lane after leaving Don Valley Stadium in late 2009....
hall of famer who graced Don Valley StadiumDon Valley StadiumThe Don Valley Stadium is a stadium in Sheffield, England and is the home of Rotherham United F.C.. The stadium is an athletics stadium which has hosted major UK Athletic events and the 1991 World Student Games. Sheffield Eagles RLFC and Parramore Sports FC also use the stadium. It was designed by...
for over 100 games for the clubs with some very attractive and crowd pleasing rugby league.
- Darren Birch : Birch is a try scoring centre who plys his trade for the Phoenix. Birch is also a current Great BritainGreat BritainGreat Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
PolicePoliceThe police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
representative and has amassed over 30 caps for the GB Police.
- Michael CoadyMichael Coady (rugby league)Michael Coady is an English rugby league footballer for Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League. He plays at .He attended Bristol Grammar School and Loughborough University.-Career:...
: former Bristol Sonic, Loughborough University and Doncaster Player, Michael signed for Leeds Rhinos on 16 June 2009.
- Ollie SmithOllie SmithOliver James Smith is an English rugby player who plays for Harlequins F.C. Rugby Club as of next season and England usually at outside centre and occasionally inside centre or wing. He sees himself as a centre who has enough pace to deliver on the wing if required. Smith is 6'1" and weighs...
: Ollie would later go on and play professionally for the Leicester Tigers, England and the British and Irish lions.
Club honours
- Leicester 9s Tournament: 1996 and 1997
- NAMARLA Division Champions: 1987/88
- RLC Central Division: 1997
- RLC South Midlands Division: 2004
- Midlands Rugby League: 2010
Representative Honours whilst at the Storm
- East of England: Craig Hewitt, Dan Rouse, Dave Wilkins, Gaz Jones, Mark Sloan, Mark White
- East Midlands: Mark Whalley
- East Midlands Academy (16-18's): Callum Corley, George Leng, Jack Powley, Jordan Connell
- England Community Lions Under 18's: George Leng
- England Lionhearts: Karl Wesley, Demetrious Gonsalves
- Great Britain Police Force: Darren Birch
- Great Britain Students: Mike French, Greg Hurst, Tim Farnden
- Irish Students: Keiran Collins, Max Oxton-Morris
- Midlands: Ash Hutchinson, Callum Corley, Dave Wilkins, Mark White, Mahmood Saad
- Midlands U18s: Callum Corley, George Leng, Jack Powley, Jordan Connell
- Midlands Invitional: Duncan Green, John Boden, Paul Walmsley
- Poland: Michal Fornalczyk
- Scotland A: Richard Knight
- Scotland Students: Richard Knight, Simon Charvet
- South of England: Karl Wesley