Who are Leeds Hunters Rugby?
Our Club Ethos and History
Leeds Hunters Rugby is an inclusive rugby club. The Club's primary aim is to provide for any adult male aged 18 or over - irrespective of race, sexual orientation, ethnicity and level of fitness or experience - a safe environment in which to enjoy the game of rugby; and any person over the age of 18 to access touch rugby.
For all members, players, supporters and volunteers, The Leeds Hunters will always strive to foster an environment of mutual respect, equality, tolerance and teamwork, as well as promote cooperation, friendship and compassion both on and off the pitch.
Formed in 2016, the Club has grown rapidly with a broad and diverse membership. We also enjoy support from across the globe on our social media thanks to our continued success domestically and internationally, including the Club’s triumph at the 2019 Union Cup - Europe’s largest International Gay Rugby (IGR) tournament - by winning the Cu Chulainn Cup.
The recent development of our Touch team to run alongside our existing men’s full contact Rugby Union team fulfils our aim to provide rugby access to all, including women of all sexualities and the trans community.
The aims and objectives of the Leeds Hunters Rugby:
• To offer playing and coaching opportunities in Rugby Union
• To promote the sport of Rugby Union
• To provide all services in a way that is fair to everyone
• To ensure that all present and future members receive fair and equal treatment
• To uphold the Rugby Core Values
• To provide a safe environment for members of all abilities to enjoy the game of rugby.
The Club strives to play an active part in the community, engaging in issues which affect our membership and supporters through our partnerships with local charities and support groups.
It all started when…
The Leeds Hunters Rugby were formed in 2016 as part of an initiative by Leeds City Council to provide inclusive sport within the LGBTQ+ community within Leeds and West Yorkshire. The Leeds Hunters were one of several clubs formed as part of this effort and training commenced at Roundhay Park with the support of the RFU in November of that year.
By the end of the 2016/17 season the club had already had 30 plus members and it was identified that one set of posts, no regular place to play matches and no changing facilities was not going to be sustainable long term. At that point we did some searching and found our new home with our host club Leodiensians RUFC, aka Leos, in September 2017.
It was at this point the club had their first season in the IGR league, with other inclusive clubs across the north of England, such as Manchester Village Spartans, Liverpool Tritons and Newcastle Ravens. Plans also started to take a squad to their first Bingham Cup in 2018, a biennial international tournament joining other inclusive clubs from across the globe. In 2019, we sent a squad to compete at the Union Cup in Dublin, welcoming IGR clubs from across Europe, and a fantastic trip, bringing the Cú Chulainn Cup back to Leeds.
The 2019/20 season was, for many clubs, filled with challenges including weather disruption, and the devastating COVID19 pandemic which cut the 2019-2020 season short. The club continued meeting via video call with themed quiz nights (getting more bizarre the longer lockdown went on!) as well as implementing initiatives like the Hunters Mind Gym, a space for members to talk about their mental health with their peers. As the lockdown restrictions were eased Leeds Hunters gradually returned to regular training in time to begin the 2021/22 season with a strong and dedicated squad who would go on to finish top of the IGR Northern league and secure a place in IGR Northern Final 2022.
We launched Touch Rugby with great success in May 2021 under O2 Touch and have since become part of the RFU’s rebranded Touch Union. We have enjoyed a flourishing partnership with the Leeds Rhinos Foundation which includes weekly use of their state-of-the-art 3G pitch at the Kirkstall Training Ground and we are excited about growing this relationship.
In July 2021, our Touch team played in their first tournament at Touch My Brum in Birmingham which is a national IGR event and in March 2022, we had our first female captain at a tournament. In April 2022, we joined the newly formed IGR Touch series, entering the northern division with 7 other IGR clubs. We hosted and won our first IGR Touch series day in June 2022 and we went on to win Newcastle’s series day in August 2022 with one of our players also receiving Player of the tournament. Overall, we finished third in our first season in the northern IGR Touch series which reflected strong performances at other series days and we look forward to re-joining the IGR Touch series in April 2023.
We now start the 2022/23 season with the same drive and ambition we have shown of the past and look forward to some great rugby.