| History |
|
London Skolars were founded during the Centenary Season of the Rugby Football League in 1995. Initially created for post-university graduates in London, the club quickly became one open to all and reflecting the cosmopolitan nature of Rugby League in the English capital. After achieving initial success within the London League, the club became one of the founding members of the Southern Conference in 1997,the forerunner to the RFL Summer Conference, winning the competition during its inaugural season. Later that year, they entered BARLA National Conference League, as the club played both in winter and in summer for four consecutive seasons. During that period the club hosted Strella XIII, on the first tour of Great Britain by a team from Tatarstan in 1998. That was followed by a tour of Tatarstan and Russia, the first time that an amateur club had toured the former Soviet Union.The club also demonstrated a commitment to developing the game during its amateur period, being one of the few amateur clubs to employ their own development officers. Three of its juniors have already played Super League. In 2002 the club’s application to join the National Leagues the following year was accepted, the first club in 80 years to make the jump from the amateur ranks to the professional leagues. The first team plays in The Co-operative Championship Division 1. The club stills runs amateur teams that play in the regional leagues and an old boys’ side.
|
