Sussex Merlins are a rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

 team playing in the London and South 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...

. They are based in Hove

Hove

Hove is a town on the south coast of England, immediately to the west of its larger neighbour Brighton, with which it forms the unitary authority Brighton and Hove. It forms a single conurbation together with Brighton and some smaller towns and villages running along the coast...

, East Sussex

East Sussex

East Sussex is a county in South East England. It is bordered by the counties of Kent, Surrey and West Sussex, and to the south by the English Channel.-History:...

.

The kit consists of black shirts with a white broken hoop, white sleeves and blue shorts with white trim down the side and red socks.

History

Sussex Merlins were founded in May 2009, introducing rugby league into Sussex. Their first season in the London League

London League (rugby league)

The London, South and East Merit League is a rugby league competition founded in 1965. It is also known as the London League , London & South East Merit League, London Amateur Rugby League and London Merit League ....

 saw them win three out of their six games. In October, Merlins' Director of Sport, James Szymik, was shortlisted and highly commended in the Brighton and Hove City Sports Awards.

For the 2010 season, Sussex Merlins joined 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...

. They also added a minis section, the Mini Merlins, with squads at under-9 and under-7/8.