Ipswich Rhinos
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| Ipswich Rhinos | |
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| Full name | Ipswich Rhinos Rugby League Club |
| Emblem | Rhino |
| Colours | Blue and White |
| Founded | 1992 as Felixstowe |
| Sport | Rugby league |
| League | Rugby League Conference |
| Ground | Ipswich RUFC (Coordinates: 52°04′27.62″N, 1°11′34.24″E) |
| Official website | www.easternrl.co.uk |
The Ipswich Rhinos Rugby League Football Club is a British rugby league club based at Ipswich RUFC in Ipswich, in the county of Suffolk. Their first team plays in the Rugby League Conference
[edit] Club History
The club was formed in 1992 from the successful Civil Service South East Team and began life on the Suffolk coast as Felixstowe Eastern Rugby League Football Club.
Due to the wide catchment area of players' homes the club moved to the county town of Ipswich in time for the 1995 - 1996 season and were successfully elected to the London Amateur Rugby League.
The club based itself at Ipswich RUFC in 1995, a club of 125 years standing where Felixstowe Eastern became Ipswich Rhinos in honour of the South African Rugby League side the Rhinos. Contrary to a wideheld assumption Ipswich Rhinos name did not come from Leeds, Leeds became Leeds Rhinos a long time after Ipswich became Ipswich Rhinos. The summer of 1997 saw the birth of the Southern Conference League, which the Rhinos also competed in, and committed themselves to. With no formal winter games to play the Club took on friendly fixtures during these months.
In 1998 the SCL became the Rugby League Conference. Ipswich Rhinos finished fifth out of a total of 15 teams.
The club continues to play in the RLC and in 2005 advanced to the new Premier South division, fielding a second team in the London League. they also launched a feeder club, the Colchester Romans, who also played in the London League. In 2006 Colchester entered the RLC in their own right and the two two clubs joined their second teams together to form the London League team Eastern Raiders. In 2007 the Rhinos finished fourth in the Premier South in what was a strong and competitive division.
