Featherstone Rovers have won all the major honours in British rugby league, despite having one of the smallest catchment areas in the sport.
Featherstone Rovers have won all the major honours in British rugby league, despite having one of the smallest catchment areas in the sport.
The pit village club was formed in 1908 and entered the professional game in 1921-22, beating Bradford No
rthern in their first game as a senior club.
Rovers reached the Championship final after just seven seasons, losing 11-0 to Swinton, and were beaten by Leeds in the following season's Yorkshire Cup decider.
Rovers' first major silverware was won in 1939-40, when they lifted the Yorkshire Cup. They reached Wembley in 1952, losing 18-10 to Workington, but brought the Challenge Cup to Post Office Road for the first time in 1966-67, with a memorable 17-12 triumph against Barrow.
Rovers repeated the feat seven years later, when Bradford Northern were crushed 33-14, and made a fourth appearance at Wembley in 1983.
That saw Rovers pull off the greatest upset in Challenge Cup final history as mighty Hull were beaten 14-12, Steve Quinn securing victory with a late penalty goal.
Rovers were crowned Division One champions in 1976-77 and won the second division title three years later and again in 1992-93.
After staving off threats of a merger with Castleford, Rovers missed the cut for Super League and were beaten by a last-gasp Wakefield Trinity try in the 1998 lower division Grand Final.
A total of 16 Rovers players have represented Great Britain, the most recent being Steve Molloy in 1996.
Rovers' all-time greats include 1960s hero Don Fox and Paul Newlove, who made his reputation at Rovers before big-money moves to Bradford Northern and St Helens.
