Kippax Knights


Kippax Knights are an amateur rugby league team based in Kippax, Leeds, England. The team plays in the Yorkshire Men's League.

History

1948-2009

Kippax Welfare rugby league has been a part of Kippax village for many years. The first ever team was formed in 1948 by Jack Kielty based at the Old Tree inn.
In 1958 Kippax went on to win the Yorkshire Cup beating Castleford Lock Lane. By the late 1960s through to the 70s, Kippax were now playing from the White Swan.
Kipaax has played in the Challenge Cup qualifying rounds on numerous occasions, but 1973/74 was the first time Kippax played in the proper first round of the Challenge Cup coming up against Leigh Centurions which Kippax fell just short of winning.
In the early 1980s, Kippax moved to the Longdike Lane facilities. This also saw the introduction of youth and junior teams, producing some of super league's finest players such as Matt Crowther, Paul Darley, Gavin Swinson and as well as two England and Great Britain internationals, Danny Orr and Andy Lynch.
During the early 2000s, Kippax Welfare were now playing in the Pennine Leagues under ex Hunslet player Andrew Atha. Ex pros in Gateshead Thunder legend Andy Walker and Featherstone Rovers duo Kieran Hickman and Dean Ripley helped the team become Division Three Champions in 2002/03, Division Two Champions in 2004/05 and Division One Champions in 2008/09 as well as Castleford Cup Champions the same year meaning this was a double winning season, Atha was eventually replaced by a coaching team of David Jessey and Kippax Welfare and ex Super League player Gavin Swinson. While the Kippax 'A' team won Pennine Division Six coached by Neil Collins.

2009–Present

In February 2009, the team was renamed Kippax Knights and they joined the Yorkshire Premier division of the Rugby League Conference. The Knights won the 2009 Yorkshire Premier Division in this first season, then they also went on to win the Grand Final, making it a double winning 2009 season.
2010, Kippax were promoted to the National League. The 2011 season started with a first round date in the Challenge Cup against Loughborough University with the Knights narrowly losing. The Knights finished 2011 in the Grand Final at Halliwell Jones Stadium, losing to Huddersfield Underbank Rangers.

Club honours