A-Z of Leeds Rhinos - ‘Z’ is for...Zulu War.

Rorke’s Drift was a battle during the war of 1879 when a vastly outnumbered company of invading British soldiers defended their mission station base against a Zulu attack.

The third and final game of the 1914 Ashes became known as the Rorke’s Drift Test after a battered Great Britain side, already missing six first-choice players and reduced to 10 men by injuries, defeated Australia 14-6 in Sydney to win the series.

The Lions side included Leeds’ Willie ‘WA’ Davies, who - playing out of position on a wing - scored a try on his Test debut. Davies was a centre who played for Aberavon, Plymouth, Devon Albion and Wales in the 15-a-side code before joining Leeds in 1913. During a 12-year career he made 278 appearances for the Loiners, scoring 77 tries and 28 goals.

‘Z’ is also for... Zak Hardaker, the most recent Leeds player to be named Man of Steel, in 2015. Hardaker joined Rhinos from Featherstone Rovers in 2011 and scored 72 tries in 154 appearances - featuring as a winger, centre and full-back - before spells with Penrith Panthers, Castleford Tigers and now Wigan Warriors

‘Z’ is also for...Zany. Defined as “amusingly unconventional and idiosyncratic” the word perfectly suits one of Leeds Rhinos and rugby league’s great characters, Jamie Jones-Buchanan. A one-club man, despite some horrific injuries the second-rower won seven Grand Finals during a 20-year, 421-game Leeds playing career and is now an assistant to coach Richard Agar.

Relentlessly positive and utterly competitive, away from the field he is also an actor, television presenter, inspirational speaker and family man.

Typically, he offered to share his testimonial, against Bradford Bulls earlier this year, after former teammate Rob Burrow was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Jones-Buchanan was the final member of Rhinos’ golden generation to hang up his boots, after kicking his only career goal in his farewell game last September.

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