Whitehaven RLFC - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Whitehaven RLFC is 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...

club playing in Whitehaven

Whitehaven

Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...

in West Cumbria

Cumbria

Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

. They play in Co-operative Championship. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground

Recreation Ground (Whitehaven)

The Recreation Ground is a rugby league stadium in Whitehaven, Cumbria, England. It is the home of Whitehaven RLFC.The ground has witnessed many other sports such as football, boxing, speedway and whippet racing....

(known locally as the Recre). Their mascot is a lion called "Pride".

Their nicknames are 'Haven' or the 'marras' (a local dialect word for 'mate').

Their local rivals are Workington Town

Workington Town

Workington Town is a professional rugby league club playing in Workington in West Cumbria. They play in the Championship 1. Their stadium is called Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team....

Foundation

Rugby league in Cumbria

Cumbria

can trace its roots back over 100 years to the formation of the Northern Union

Rugby Football League

The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...

. Whitehaven had its own team, Whitehaven Recreation, which competed in the Rugby League Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....

in the first decade of the 20th century.

Whitehaven RLFC was formed at a meeting held in the Miners' Welfare Club at Kells from the Whitehaven Miners' Welfare team in 1948 and shortly afterwards were admitted into the Northern Rugby Football Union

Rugby Football League

by just three votes. Whitehaven took over the Miners' Welfare lease at the Recreation Ground. In their first game Haven beat Hull 5-0. There was a "disappointing" turnout of only 9,000 because of the pouring rain; in those days the Supporters' Club had 4,000 members. The early Whitehaven team were nicknamed "the Colliers" as the Recreation Ground because of the Miners' Welfare connection.

In a Britain that still was still recovering from wartime rationing and austerity Whitehaven gradually picked itself up. In 1951 the first of a long line of players from Australasia

Australasia

Australasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...

joined Haven as Neville Emery became player-coach. Under his guidance the club built a team that could compete with the best.

On Saturday 20 October 1956, Whitehaven defeated the Australian tourists 14-11 before a crowd of 10,917 at the Recreation Ground. Later that season the club came within minutes of a Wembley appearance when they lost 10-9 to Leeds

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...

in a Challenge Cup semi-final before a 50,000 crowd at the Odsal Stadium

Odsal Stadium

Odsal Stadium is a stadium situated in Odsal, Bradford in West Yorkshire, England. The venue is used for rugby league and has been the home ground of Bradford Bulls/Bradford Northern since 1934...

, featuring players such as the legendary Dick Huddart

Dick Huddart

Dick Huddart is an English-Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He played in the for Whitehaven and St. Helens in England, and for the St. George Dragons in Australia...

and full back John McKeown

John McKeown (rugby league)

John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

. The end of that season saw Emery return home to be replaced by Eppie Gibson, who rebuilt the team, and in 1959/60 the club finished 6th in the league their highest ever position.

1960s and onwards

The club's record attendance was set in 1960 when 18,500 spectators turned up for a third round Challenge Cup game against Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

.

The 1960s were a period of decline as the club struggled on the field, though in 1965 the club defeated the touring New Zealanders 12-5,the winning try scored by John Coupe. It wasn’t until 1970 that the club emerged from this lean spell. Under the coaching of Sol Roper they topped the league table for part of the 1969/70 season. Once again the club defeated the game's top clubs like St Helens, Wigan

Wigan Warriors

Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....

and Bradford Northern

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....

at the Recreation Ground.

Jeff Bawden in 1971/72, his first season as head coach, was able to take Whitehaven to Central Park

Central Park (Wigan)

Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...

and beat Wigan on their own patch for the first time in Whitehaven’s history. The club progressed over the next few years and in 1973 acquired floodlights.

However success was once again denied at the last hurdle as the club suffered semi-final defeats in both the Lancashire Cup

Rugby league county cups

Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...

and the John Player Cup. Two promotions to the top division came in 1980s and during this period the club produced a batch of internationals in scrum half Arnold 'Boxer' Walker

Arnold Walker

Arnold 'Boxer' Walker is a former international rugby league player who plied his trade as a /, or / for Cumbrian rivals Workington Town and Whitehaven....

, forward "Vince" Fox and centre "Vince" Gribbin

Vincent Gribbin

Vincent "Vince" Gribbin is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, and Salford, playing at , i.e. number 3 or 4.-International honours:...

. By the end of the 1980s the club found itself back in Division Two.

Whitehaven faced a financial crisis in 1992. Eleven local businessmen, Copeland Council and Albright & Wilson joined forces to form Whitehaven 1992 Ltd, the holding company which owns 70 per cent of the shares.

Summer era

When Super League

Super League

Super 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...

was proposed Whitehaven were supposed to merge with Barrow

Barrow Raiders

Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....

, Carlisle

Carlisle RLFC

Carlisle RLFC were a rugby league team based in Carlisle, Cumbria.-Early rugby league in Carlisle:Carlisle City, based at Harraby Greyhound Stadium close to Gillford Park, were admitted to the Northern Rugby Football Union for the 1928-29 season. They withdrew on November 8, 1928 after only ten...

and Workington Town

Workington Town

to form a Cumbria club to be based at Workington that would take part in the new summer competition. This was successfully resisted.

Whitehaven Warriors ended 1996 one place above the relegation positions. The appointment of Kiwi coaches Kurt Sorensen

Kurt Sorensen

Kurt John Sorensen is a New Zealand former rugby league footballer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. He is the brother of fellow Kiwi international, Dane Sorensen, and the nephew of another pair of Kiwi brothers, Bill and Dave Sorensen...

and Stan Martin brought about a revival at the club with Haven finishing 3rd in Division One in 1997 and reaching the play-off semi-finals only to lose to Hull.

Martin quit as coach in summer 1998, Colin Armstrong took temporary charge of Whitehaven before Edgar took over.

The merger issue resurfaced in 2000, Whitehaven were so heavily in debt that a merger with Workington seemed the only means of survival. However, the board of directors rejected a merger proposal with Workington Town and then resigned en masse.

Paul Cullen

Paul Cullen (rugby league)

Paul Cullen is an English professional rugby league football coach and former player. He is the head coach for the Widnes Vikings of the Co-operative Championship. Cullen previously coached the Warrington Wolves as well as the England national team...

arrived as coach from Warrington

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....

in September 2000 taking over from Kevin Tamati

Kevin Tamati

Kevin Ronald Tamati is a New Zealander former professional rugby league footballer and coach who played for his country and played professionally for Widnes and Warrington in the Forwards...

. This heralded upward progression for Whitehaven. The club made steady progress and earned a place in National League 1 for 2003. He left in August 2002 to manage Warrington and was replaced by Steve McCormack

Steve McCormack

Steve McCormack is the former head coach of National League One club Widnes. He is currently head coach of Scotland RL and SwintonHis first coaching appointment had been at Salford, who made him the youngest coach in Super League at the age of just 28 in 2001 but was sacked just 10 months later.He...

.

In 2004 they were undefeated at home in the league and made it to the semi final of the Arriva

Arriva

Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...

Trains Cup losing to the eventual winners Leigh

Leigh Centurions

Leigh Centurions is an English professional rugby league club based in Leigh, Greater Manchester who play in the Co-operative Championship.The club was founded in 1878 as Leigh Rugby Football Club and is one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in...

. They also narrowly lost out on promotion to Super League

Super League

after losing 32-16 in extra time to Leigh in the NL1 grand final.

The following year despite Castleford

Castleford Tigers

Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...

being red hot favourites for promotion Whitehaven managed to win their first piece of silverware when the took the National League One League Leader's trophy, however they were unable to take this success into the grand final, where they were heavily beaten by the Castleford side.

Steve McCormack

Steve McCormack

left to manage Widnes

Widnes Vikings

Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...

and was replaced by Dave Rotheram.

In 2006 in Dave Rotheram's first season in charge, they finished 4th and reached the National League 1 play-offs, only to be beaten by Steve McCormack's Widnes in a hard fought semi-final by 24-20. They were knocked out of the Northern Rail Cup at the quarter final stage by Hull KR

Hull Kingston Rovers

Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...

who would eventually be promoted to the Engage Super League that season.

In late 2006 they became the first ever winners of the pre-season Ike Southward

Ike Southward

Ike Southward was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s, and coach of the 1960s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and Cumberland, and at club level for Workington Town , and Oldham, playing at , i.e...

Trophy, beating neighbours Workington Town

Workington Town

18-6 at the Recreation Ground. Haven made it to the final of the Northern Rail Cup

National League Cup

The Championship Cup, known as the Northern Rail Cup due to sponsorship by Northern Rail, is a rugby league football competition for clubs in the United Kingdom's Championship and Championship 1 leagues, formerly known as the Rugby League National Leagues...

for the first time in 2007 but lost 54-6 to Widnes.

The current coach is Whitehaven Legend David Seeds

At the end of the 2010 season the club were relegated to Championship 1.

Current table

2010 RFL Championship results

2011 squad

Team

Highest score : 86-6 vs Highfield 1995
Heaviest defeat : 106-8 vs Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....

12 May 2008
Record attendance : 18,650, vs Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

1960

Individual

Tries in a career : 248 David Seeds (1993–2007)
Tries in a season : 34 Mick Pechey (1994-95)
Tries in a match : 6 "Vince" Gribbin
Vincent Gribbin
Vincent "Vince" Gribbin is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, and Salford, playing at , i.e. number 3 or 4.-International honours:...

(vs Doncaster 18 November 1984)
Goals in a career : 1050 John McKeown
John McKeown (rugby league)
John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

(1948–61)
Goals in a season : 141 John McKeown
John McKeown (rugby league)
John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

(1956–57)
Goals in a match : 13 Lee Anderson (v Highfield 25 January 1995)
Points in a career : 2,133 John McKeown
John McKeown (rugby league)
John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

(1948–1961)
Points in a season : 400 Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn is an English rugby league player. Nanyn's usual position is centre. He is a specialist goal-kicker.Nanyn plays for Leigh, on a loan deal from Harlequins RL in Super League. He also plays for Scotland....

(2004)
Points in a match : 32 Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn is an English rugby league player. Nanyn's usual position is centre. He is a specialist goal-kicker.Nanyn plays for Leigh, on a loan deal from Harlequins RL in Super League. He also plays for Scotland....

(vs Batley 22 August 2004) & Greg McNally
Greg McNally
Gregg McNally , is an English born Irish professional rugby league footballer for the Huddersfield Giants of Super League. An Ireland international representative, he previously played for Whitehaven....

(vs Featherstone Rovers 22 March 2009)
Appearances in a career : 417 John McKeown
John McKeown (rugby league)
John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

(1948–61)
Appearances in a season : 42 John McKeown
John McKeown
John McKeown is a solo artist based in London, United Kingdom, signed to Beatroute Records. McKeown previously fronted rock group Hero. After a European tour with Stereophonics and a number of tour dates in Los Angeles Hero disbanded...

(1956–57)
Consecutive appearances : 83 Gary Broadbent
Gary Broadbent
Gary Broadbent is an English rugby league footballer of the 1990s, 2000s, and '10s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Salford City Reds in the European Super League, and Widnes Vikings, Whitehaven, and Barrow Raiders in National League One, playing at , , or ,...

(C) (plays for Barrow now)

Players earning international caps while at Whitehaven

Richard Fletcher
Richard Fletcher (rugby league)
Richard Fletcher born on 17 May 1981 in Hull, England is a rugby league player for Widnes Vikings in National League One.Richard Fletcher's position of choice is in the and he can also operate as a ....

won caps for Scotland while at Hull, Castleford and Whitehaven 2001…2007 5-caps + 1-cap (sub)
"Vince" Gribbin
Vincent Gribbin
Vincent "Vince" Gribbin is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, and Salford, playing at , i.e. number 3 or 4.-International honours:...

won a cap for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1985 1-cap

Bill Holliday
William Holliday (rugby league)
William "Bill" 'Happy' Holliday is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, Hull Kingston Rovers and Swinton playing at , or , i.e...

won caps for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1964 against France, in 1965 against France, New Zealand (3 matches), while at Hull K.R.
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers or Hull KR is an English professional rugby league football club based in Hull, England. The club formed in 1882 and currently competes in Super League, having won promotion from National League One in 2006...

in 1966 against France, France (sub), in 1967 against Australia (3 matches). Bill Holliday captained Great Britain in 1967 against Australia (3 matches).
Milton Huddart
Milton Huddart
Milton Huddart is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at representative level has played for England, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at /, i.e...

won a cap for England while at Whitehaven in 1984 against Wales
Dick Huddart
Dick Huddart
Dick Huddart is an English-Australian former rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s. He played in the for Whitehaven and St. Helens in England, and for the St. George Dragons in Australia...

won caps for England while at St. Helens in 1962 against France, and won caps for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1958 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), while at St. Helens in 1959 against Australia, in 1961 against New Zealand (3 matches), in 1962 against France (2 matches), Australia (3 matches), New Zealand (2 matches), in 1963 against Australia

Lee Kiddie
Lee Kiddie
Lee Kiddie is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at /, i.e. number 7.-International honours:Lee Kiddie won a cap for Scotland while at Whitehaven in 2003....

won a cap for Scotland while at Whitehaven in 2003
Phil Kitchin
Phil Kitchin
Philip "Phil" Kitchin is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven playing at /, i.e. number 6.-International honours:...

won a cap for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1965 against New Zealand
John J. McKeown
John McKeown (rugby league)
John J. McKeown was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s, '50s and '60s who at representative level played for Great Britain and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , i.e...

won a cap for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1955/56 against France (Internationals against France
France national rugby league team
The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...

were not granted full Test match status by the RFL
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...

until 1957)
Spencer Miller
Spencer Miller
Spencer Miller is a professional rugby league footballer who at representative level has played for Scotland, and at club level for Whitehaven, playing at , or /, i.e...

won caps for Scotland while at Whitehaven in 2003 against Ireland and France, in 2004 against Wales and in 2006 against Wales

Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn
Mick Nanyn is an English rugby league player. Nanyn's usual position is centre. He is a specialist goal-kicker.Nanyn plays for Leigh, on a loan deal from Harlequins RL in Super League. He also plays for Scotland....

won caps for Scotland while at Whitehaven, Widnes and Oldham 2005…present 6-caps + 1-cap (sub)
Arnold 'Boxer' Walker
Arnold Walker
Arnold 'Boxer' Walker is a former international rugby league player who plied his trade as a /, or / for Cumbrian rivals Workington Town and Whitehaven....

won a cap for England while at Whitehaven in 1981 against France, and won a cap for Great Britain while at Whitehaven in 1980 against New Zealand

Other notable players

1940s
Jeffrey "Jeff" Bawden
1950s
William "Billy" Banks
William Banks (rugby league)
William "Billy" Banks is a Welsh former rugby union and professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1940s and '50s who at club level has played rugby union for Maesteg RFC, playing at Scrum-half, i.e...

(#7)
?. Buchanan circa-1956
?. Cassie circa-1956
John Coupe circa-1956
Thomas "Tommy" Crewdson (#9)
Raymond "Ray" Donaldson (#11)
?. Donnelly circa-1956
Harry Harrison (#2/#5) circa-1950s
Thomas "Tom" Hill (#9) circa-1956…65
George Killen (#10)
?. Maddison circa-1956
Charlie McCourt circa-1956
Ron McMenemy circa-1957 from Barrow
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
John 'Trackie' McVay circa-1956
xLeslie "Les" Moore (#10) circa-1956…65
John "Jackie" Reid (#6)
?. Vaughan circa-1956
?. Whalley circa-1956
Dennis Williamson
Dennis Williamson
Dennis Williamson is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at club level has played for Whitehaven, and Wakefield Trinity, playing at , i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums....

circa-1956 -to- circa-1961 (To Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

)

1960s
Edward "Eddie" Bowman
Edward Bowman (rugby league)
Edward "Eddie" Bowman is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s and '70s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, Workington Town, and Leigh, playing at , i.e...
Alan Burns
Leslie "Les" Lowther circa-1963
Matthew "Matt" McLeod
Matthew McLeod
Matthew "Matt" McLeod is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s who at club level has played for Workington Town, Wakefield Trinity, and Whitehaven playing at , or , i.e...

circa-1965
James "Jim" Neale circa-1963
Brian Shillinglaw
Brian Shillinglaw
Brian Shillinglaw, nicknamed "Shill", was a Scottish rugby union and rugby league player.-Rugby union:He was capped five times for in 1960-61...

, for Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...

(RU)
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

while at Gala RFC
Gala RFC
Gala Rugby Football Club are a rugby union team based in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders, founded in 1875, they play their home games at Netherdale....

(RU)
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

1960-61 5-caps (signed for Whitehaven 1961-62 (#7))
1970s
Alan McCurrie
Alan McCurrie
Alan McCurrie is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 1980s who at club level has played for Whitehaven, Wakefield Trinity, and Oldham, playing at , i.e. number 9.-Challenge Cup final appearances:Alan McCurrie played , i.e...

1980s
Martin Amor circa-1980s
Mark Beckwith circa-1980s
Stephen "Steve" Branthwaite circa-1980s
Steve Burney
Steve Burney
Steve Burney is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s who at club level has played for Whitehaven , and lower grades for Western Suburbs Magpies, playing at , i.e. number 11, or 12, during the era of contested scrums....

(#11)
Anthony "Tony" D'Leny (Testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

1992)
William "Billy" Fisher (#3) (Testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

1992)
xVincent "Vince" Fox (#F)
Gary Hetherington (#13)
Kevin Howland circa-1980s
Frank Johnston circa-1980s
David Lightfoot (#1)
Norman Lofthouse (#2)
Duncan McCartney circa-1980s
William "Willie" Richardson (#2 or #5) or (#1) http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/home/1.265278
Jeffrey "Jeff" Simpson circa-1980s
Anthony "Tony" Solarie circa-1980s

1990s
Graeme Morton
Graeme Morton
Graeme Morton is an Australian composer and conductor, currently directing the St Peters Chorale and Brisbane Chamber Choir. With these choirs, he has produced numerous recordings. In 1993 he and Stephen Leek created The Australian Voices.-References:...

(Testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

2003)
David Seeds (Testimonial match
Testimonial match
A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

2003)

2000s
Garry Purdham
Garry Purdham
Garry John Purdham was an English professional rugby league player and farmer. He was killed in the 2010 Cumbria shootings.-Career:...

(1999–2004)

Haven immortals (Hall of Fame)

1. John J. McKeown

John McKeown (rugby league)

circa-1950s

2. William "Bill" Smith (#2) circa-1950s

3. Vincent "Vince" Gribbin

Vincent Gribbin

4. Eppie Gibson

5. Sydney "Syd" Lowdon (#5) circa-1950s

6. Philip "Phil" Kitchin

Phil Kitchin

Philip "Phil" Kitchin is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven playing at /, i.e. number 6.-International honours:...

circa-1956…65

7. Arnold 'Boxer' Walker

Arnold Walker

Arnold 'Boxer' Walker is a former international rugby league player who plied his trade as a /, or / for Cumbrian rivals Workington Town and Whitehaven....

8. William "Bill" McAlone

William McAlone

William "Bill" McAlone was a rugby league footballer for Whitehaven RLFC. He played in a forward position. McAlone scored 23 tries in 327 games for Whitehaven....

(Testimonial match

Testimonial match

A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

1960)

9. Aaron Lester

Aaron Lester

Aaron Lester is a New Zealand former rugby league player. His position of preference was at Hooker.His brother, Stuart, played for Wigan.-New Zealand:A Junior Kiwi in 1992, Lester went on to play for the New Zealand Residents in 1994...

10. John Tembey

John Tembey

John Tembey was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and Cumberland, and at club level for Whitehaven, St. Helens, and Warrington, playing at , or , i.e...

circa-1950s

11. William "Bill" 'Happy' Holliday

William Holliday (rugby league)

William "Bill" 'Happy' Holliday is a former professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and at club level for Whitehaven, Hull Kingston Rovers and Swinton playing at , or , i.e...

12. Dick Huddart

Dick Huddart

13. Gordon Cottier

14. William "Billy" Garratt (#3) circa-1950s

15. Geoffrey "Geoff" Robinson (#13) http://www.nwemail.co.uk/1.191550

16. David "Dave" Watson circa-1980s

17. xLeslie "Les" Moore (#10) circa-1963…65

Current table

External links

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