Rugby is a fast-paced, action-packed sport that’s popular all over England but if you particularly want to watch rugby in Cheshire, you’ll need to know where to find the local teams so you can support them and see them whenever you want.
Whether you love watching these guys smash into one another at full pelt or just appreciate their athleticism, there are plenty of great opportunities to see local rugby teams play in the near future. Read on for more details about where to watch rugby teams in Cheshire, so check out the fixtures and get excited about watching some great games!
Warrington Wolves
Founded: 1876
Ground: Haliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington, Cheshire
Website: warringtonwolves.com
Warrington, England-based Warrington Wolves compete in the Super League. They play rugby at the Halliwell Jones Stadium, which they left Wilderspool for in 2004. They were established as Warrington Zingari Football Club in 1876 and are one of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, remaining in the premier division every year. Because of the town’s wire-making industry, they are known as “The Wire.”
Chester Gladiators
Founded: 2008
Ground: The Cheshire, Cheshire
Website: chestergladiators.com
Chester Gladiators Rugby League Football Club participates in three competitions: the North West Division of the Rugby League Conference, the North West Counties League, and the North West Merit League. In April 2008, a bunch of fervent supporters created Chester Gladiators Rugby League Football Club to believe that the sport could thrive in the area.
Widnes Vikings
Founded: 1875
Ground: Halton Stadium, Widnes, Cheshire
Website: widnesvikings.co.uk
The Widnes Vikings are a rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. The club competes in the Betfred Championship and plays its home games at Halton Stadium. The Northern Rugby Football Union was created in 1895 by twenty-two initial rugby clubs, one of which was Widnes Football Club. The Chemics, a historic moniker in reference to Widnes’ principal industry, are now known as the Vikings.
Runcorn RLC
Founded: 2005
Ground: Heath Park Playing Fields, Runcorn
Runcorn RLC competes in the North West Men’s League in Cheshire, England.
Runcorn RFC became the first rugby league club in the town when the Northern Union was founded in 1895. However, the club folded in 1918. Runcorn Vikings became the current club in 2005 by joining the Rugby League Conference North West division. In 2009, Runcorn RLC entered the Rugby League Conference North West Premier Division. In 2010, Runcorn withdrew from the division. In 2015, the team joined the North West Men’s League Division 4.
Widnes Saints
Founded: 2004
Ground: Heath Road, Widnes, Chesire
Website: widnessaints.com
Widnes Saints are a rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They participate in the North West Premier Division of the Rugby League Conference. The Widnes St Maries premises hosted the Widnes Saints club from 2004 when the club joined the North West Division of the Rugby League Conference.
Lymm RL
Founded: 1998
Ground: Crouchley Lane, Lymm, Cheshire
Website: pitcher.com/clubs/lymmrl
Lymm RL plays in the North West Merit League. They are based in Lymm, Cheshire.
The Georges Playing Fields were the venue for Crewe Wolves’ first season in the Northern Division of the Rugby League Conference in 1999. Lymm RUFC became the new home of the Crewe Wolves rugby club in 2008 when the club changed its name to Lymm Wolves. The club dropped the Wolves name in 2009 and became Lymm RL.
Woolston Rovers
Founded: 1959
Ground: Monk Sports Club, Hillock Lane, Woolston, Warrington
Website: pitcher.com/clubs/woolstonroversrlfc
Warrington-based Woolston Rovers compete in the National Division of the Rugby League Conference, which is open to all ages. In 1959, Woolston Rovers Rugby Club was established at the Lido Country Club on Manchester Road, Woolston.
Crewe & Nantwich Steamers
Founded: 2003
Ground: Barony Park, Nantwich
Website: pitcher.com/clubs/creweandnantwichsteamersrlfc
Nantwich, Cheshire, is home to Crewe & Nantwich Steamers rugby league club, which plays in the North West Division of the Rugby League Conference. A second team, the North West Merit League, is also run by the club.
Winnington Park
Founded: 1907
Ground: Burrows Hill, Northwich, Cheshire
Website: https://winningtonparkrfc.rfu.club/
Winnington Park Rugby Club is a rugby union club located in Winnington, Northwich, Cheshire, England. The club has three senior teams, a ladies team, and ten junior squads. The first team currently competes in the Northern Division of North 2 West, having won the South Lancs/ Cheshire 2 league as champions at the end of the 2017-2018 season.
Rugby clubs not longer active
Tyldesley FC
Founded: 1881
Exited: 1901
Tyldesley Rugby Club was based in Tyldesley, Lancashire, England. The group was one of the founding members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League), which split from the Rugby Football Union, after the meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield in 1895. They competed from 1895-96 to 1899-1900. Tyldesley club disbanded at the end of the 1901-02 season because it had huge debts. In 1911, the club was re-admitted to the Rugby Football Union.
Runcorn RFC
Founded: Before 1876
Exited: 1918
Runcorn RFC became a member of the Northern Union in 1895, just days after its inception, and participated in the league up until 1917-18. Runcorn, an industrial town and cargo port in Cheshire, England, was where the club was based. The River Mersey divided Runcorn, a Cheshire industrial town, from Widnes, a Lancashire factory town.
Warrington signed many of the players from the recently disbanded Runcorn club for the 1919–20 season when the league competition was fully resumed.
Stockport RFC
Founded: 1884
Exited: 1903
Former Ground: Heaton Norris Recreation Ground, Stockport
Stockport RFC was a rugby league club in Stockport, England. After the English rugby schism, the club became a founder member of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League). A meeting at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, was where the breakaway occurred.
From 1895-96 to 1902-03, they competed in Division Two, where they finished last. The club folded a few years later leaving Stockport County as the sole tenants.
Liverpool City
Founded: 1902
Exited: 1997
Last Ground: Valerie Park, Prescot (1994-1997)
The club Liverpool Stanley was a rugby league club based in Liverpool. It was renamed Liverpool City in 1951 but had no connection to the original team of the same name. Wigan Highfield was established in 1880. The club was known as London Highfield, Huyton, Runcorn Highfield, Highfield, and Prescot Panthers throughout their many relocations, before being wound up in 1996.