# List of defunct rugby league clubs

This is a list of defunct professional rugby league clubs.

## Australia
### New South Wales Rugby League (1908–1994)

| Club | First year | Last Year | Reason |
| Annandale | 1910 | 1920 | |
| Cumberland | 1908 | 1908 | |
| Glebe Dirty Reds | 1908 | 1929 | Glebe Dirty Reds still exist at New South Wales Cup level. |
| Newcastle Rebels | 1908 | 1909 | Newcastle exist in the modern day competition, in a new form. The "original" Newcastle side disbanded in 1909 to form the Newcastle competition, and the "modern" Newcastle Knights were formed in 1988. |
| Newtown Jets | 1908 | 1983 | Newtown Jets still exist at New South Wales Cup level. Excluded for financial reasons. |
| University | 1920 | 1937 | University were reformed in 2018 and still exist at Sydney Shield level. |

### ARL (1995–1997), SL (1997) and NRL (1998–)

| Club | First League season | Last League season | Reason | Current status |
| Adelaide Rams | 1997 | 1998 | Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. | |
| Balmain Tigers | 1908 | 1999 | Merged with the Western Suburbs Magpies | Became Wests Tigers in 2000 |
| Gold Coast Chargers | 1988 | 1998 | Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. | Gold Coast Titans formed in 2007 |
| Hunter Mariners | 1997 | 1997 | Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. | |
| Illawarra Steelers | 1982 | 1998 | Merged with the St. George Dragons | Became St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999 |
| North Sydney Bears | 1908 | 1999 | Merged with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles | Became Northern Eagles in 2000. |
| Northern Eagles | 2000 | 2002 | Disbanded | Reverted to Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and North Sydney Bears in 2003 |
| St. George Dragons | 1921 | 1998 | Merged with the Illawarra Steelers | Became St George Illawarra Dragons in 1999 |
| South Queensland Crushers | 1995 | 1997 | Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. | |
| Western Reds | 1995 | 1997 | Shutdown as part of the ARL and Super League merger to end the Super League war. | |
| Western Suburbs Magpies | 1908 | 1999 | Merged with the Balmain Tigers | Became Wests Tigers in 2000 |
The teams listed above, with the exception of Adelaide, Hunter, Gold Coast, Northern Eagles and South Queensland still participate in lower level competitions, including the NSW Cup, S.G. Ball and Harold Matthews competitions.

### Queensland Cup (1996–)

This section particularly includes the Queensland Rugby League sides which no longer compete in the top level of that league.
| Club | First year | Last Year | Reason |
| Brothers-Valleys | 2002 | 2002 | |
| Bundaberg Grizzlies | | | |
| Cairns Cyclones | 1996 | 1996 | |
| Central Capras | | | |
| Gold Coast Vikings | 1982 | 1995 | |
| Logan Scorpions | 1987 | 2002 | Merged with Souths Magpies to form Souths Logan Magpies. |
| Mackay Sea Eagles | | | |
| Past Brothers | 1917 | 1998 | |
| Port Moresby Vipers | | | |
| Sunshine Coast Falcons | 1996 | 1996 | |
| Souths Magpies | 1921 | 2002 | Merged with the Logan Scorpions to form Souths Logan Magpies. |
| Toowoomba Clydesdales | 1996 | 2006 | |
| Townsville Stingers | | | |
| Wests Panthers | 1915 | 2003 | |

### Brisbane Rugby League (1909–1997)

| Club | First year | Last Year |
| Fortitude Valley Diehards | 1909 | 1995 |
| Milton | | |
| Toombul | 1996 | 1996 |
| University | 1922 | 1933 |

## England

These clubs competed in the Rugby Football League from 1895.
| Club | First League season | Last League season | Reason | Current status |
| Acton & Willesden | 1935 | 1936 | Folded | |
| Altrincham | 1901 | 1902 | Folded | |
| Birkenhead Wanderers | 1901 | 1904 | Folded | |
| Blackpool Gladiators | 1954 | 1993 | Folded | |
| Blackpool Panthers | 2004 | 2010 | Liquidated in 2011 | |
| Bradford F.C. | 1864 | 1907 | Switched to association football | Reformed as Bradford Park Avenue |
| Bramley | 1896 | 1999 | Folded | Reformed as Bramley Buffaloes in 2004 |
| Brighouse Rangers | 1895 | 1906 | Folded | Reformed as an amateur club. |
| Broughton Rangers | 1895 | 1955 | Disbanded | |
| Carlisle | 1981 | 1997 | Merged with Barrow Braves | Currently known as Barrow Raiders |
| Carlisle City | 1928 | 1928 | Resigned mid-season | |
| Castleford RFC | 1896 | 1906 | Disbanded | Castleford Tigers formed in 1926 |
| Chorley Lynx | 1989 | 2004 | Folded | Blackpool Panthers formed in 2004 |
| Coventry | 1910 | 1913 | Disbanded | Coventry Bears formed in 1999 |
| Gateshead Thunder | 1999 | 1999 | Merged with Hull F.C. after 1999 season | Reformed as Newcastle Thunder in 2001 |
| Goole | 1901 | 1902 | Folded | |
| Heckmondwike | 1896 | 1902 | Folded | |
| Holbeck | 1896 | 1904 | Folded | |
| Hunslet F.C. | 1895 | 1973 | Folded | Reformed as New Hunslet in 1973 |
| Kent Invicta (1983–84)/Southend Invicta (1984–85) | 1983 | 1985 | Liquidated in 1985 | |
| Lancaster | 1901 | 1905 | Folded | |
| Leeds Parish Church | 1896 | 1901 | Folded | |
| Liverpool City | 1906 | 1909 | Folded | Another Liverpool City formed in 1958 but folded |
| Liversedge | 1895 | 1902 | Folded | |
| Manningham | 1895 | 1903 | Switched to association football | Reformed as Bradford City |
| Nottingham City | 1984 | 1993 | Resigned from the league | Became an amateur club after relegation from the professional leagues in 1993. |
| Millom | 1897 | 1906 | Resigned | Reverted to amateur status and joined Cumberland Senior Competition. |
| Morecambe | 1896 | 1901 | Folded | |
| Newcastle | 1936 | 1938 | Folded | Gateshead Thunder formed in 2001 and were renamed Newcastle Thunder in 2015 |
| Normanton | 1901 | 1907 | Folded | Reformed as an amateur club |
| Pontefract | 1903 | 1907 | Folded | |
| Radcliffe | 1901 | 1902 | Folded | |
| Runcorn | 1895 | 1914 | Folded | |
| Scarborough Pirates | 1991 | 1992 | Folded | Reformed as an amateur club |
| Sheffield Eagles (1984) | 1984 | 1999 | Merged with Huddersfield Giants in 1999 | Reformed as Sheffield Eagles in 2000 |
| South Shields | 1902 | 1904 | Folded | |
| Sowerby Bridge | 1901 | 1905 | Folded | |
| St Helens Recs | 1918 | 1939 | Folded | Reformed as an amateur side Pilkington Recs in 1949 |
| Stockport | 1895 | 1903 | Folded | |
| Streatham & Mitcham | 1935 | 1936 | Folded | |
| Tyldesley | 1895 | 1900 | Folded | Reverted to Rugby Union in 1911 |
| Prescot Panthers | 1902 | 1997 | Folded | |
| York Wasps | 1895 | 2002 | Folded | Reformed as York City Knights in 2002 |

## France

* AS Saint Estève (1965–2000)
       Merged with XIII Catalan to form Union Treiziste Catalane.
* Celtic de Paris (1950-197?)
* Marseille XIII (1946–2006)
* Paris Saint-Germain (1996–1997)
* XIII Catalan (1935–2000)
       Merged with AS Saint Estève to form Union Treiziste Catalane.

## New Zealand
### Bartercard Cup (2000–)

* Eastern Tornadoes (2000–2005)
* Marist Richmond Brothers (2000–2005)
* North Harbour Tigers (2003 - 2005)
* Otahuhu Ellerslie Leopards (2004–2005)
* Porirua Pumas (2000–2001)
* Taranaki Wildcats (2002–2003)

### Lion Red Cup (1994–1996)

* Auckland City Vulcans (1994)
* Canterbury Country Cardinals (1994-6)
* Christchurch City Shiners (1994-6)
* Counties Manukau Heroes (1994-6)
* Hutt Valley Firehawks (1994-6)
* North Harbour Sea Eagles (1994-6)
* Waitakere City Raiders (1994-6)
* Wellington City Dukes (1994-6)

## Wales
### Welsh League (1908–1909)

(these teams also competed in the Northern Rugby Football Union)
| Club | First year | Last Year | International capped players |
| Aberdare RLFC | 1908 | 1909 | Will Hopkins for Wales 1908 against England |
| Barry RLFC | 1908 | 1908 | |
| Ebbw Vale RLFC | 1907 | 1912 | Oliver Burgham for Wales 1908 against New Zealand and England John "Jack" Foley for Wales 1909 against England W. E. 'Chick' Jenkins for Wales 1908–1912 (7-caps) Lewis Llewellyn for Wales 1910–1912 (4-caps). |
| Merthyr Tydfil RLFC | 1907 | 1911 | David Davies for Wales 1909 against England David 'Dai' 'Tarw' Jones for Wales 1908 against New Zealand, and for Great Britain 1908 against New Zealand (2 matches) |
| Mid-Rhondda RLFC | 1908 | 1909 | |
| Treherbert RLFC | 1908 | 1910 | David Galloway (#9) for Wales 1909 and 1910 against England (2 caps) |

### Welsh League (1949–55)

| Club | First year | Last Year | International capped players | Notes |
| Aberavon RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | Melvyn Ford for Wales while at Aberavon 1951 | |
| Amman Valley RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | | Played at Brewery Field, with Bridgend RFC temporarily moving out. |
| Bridgend RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | | |
| Cardiff RLFC | 1951 | 1952 | Milson Hunt for Wales while at Cardiff in 1951 Glyn Morgan for Wales while at Huddersfield, and Cardiff 1947-1949 4-caps Ted Ward for Wales while at Wigan, and Cardiff 1946-1951 13-caps, and for Great Britain while at Wigan in 1946 against Australia (2 matches) and New Zealand | Also played in the Northern Rugby Football Union |
| Llanelli RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | | |
| Neath RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | Roy Lambert for Wales while at Neath, Dewsbury, and Warrington 1950–1952 (7 caps) | |
| Swansea RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | | |
| Ystradgynlais RLFC | 1949 | 1955 | | |

### Northern Rugby Football Union (1895–)

| Club | First year | Last Year | International capped players | Notes |
| Cardiff City Blue Dragons | 1981 | 1984 | | Relocated and became Bridgend Blue Dragons (1984–1985) before disbanding. |
| Pontypridd | 1926 | 1927 | Ponty Davies won caps for Wales 1926-1927 2-caps, and while at Warrington in 1928 Bert Green for Wales 1926-1927 2-caps George Oliver for Wales (RU) for Wales (RU) while at Pontypool RFC in 1920 against England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, and for Wales (RL) while at Hull, and Pontypridd 1921–1927 (4-caps) Billy Rhodes for Wales 1926 Les White for Wales while at Pontypridd and Hunslet 1928–1933 (7-caps) for England while at Hunslet 1933 against Australia, and for Great Britain while at Hunslet in 1932 against Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), and in 1933 Australia (2 matches) | |
| South Wales | 1996 | - | | Lasted one season - by 1996 the season had switched to summer. |
| Celtic Crusaders | 2005 | 2011 | | Initially based in Bridgend, 2010 and 2011 were played in Wrexham as the Crusaders |
| South Wales Scorpions | 2010 | 2017 | | Formed when Crusaders relocated to North Wales and placed in the third tier of (semi) professional RL. The 2017 season was played under the South Wales Ironmen brand before the team was re-branded and relocated for 2018 as West Wales Raiders. |
| West Wales Raiders | 2018 | 2022 | | Formed when South Wales Ironmen were re-branded and moved to Llanelli by amateur club Gwendraeth Valley Raiders and renamed West Wales Raiders.Club folded 2022. |