Introducing Wests Warriors: a guide to Leeds Rhinos' Challenge Cup opponents
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Saturday’s Betfred Challenge Cup third round tie at AMT Headingley is the first time the clubs have met, so who are Wests Warriors? Here’s a quick guide to the London-based club, whose squad includes a couple of familiar names.
Club history
Warriors play at Wasps FC - the amateur club which split from its better-known rugby union namesake - in Acton, west London. The club were formed in 2014, mainly to cater for Australians and New Zealanders living in the capital.
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Current coach Kimbo Parkinson, a Kiwi, was one of four founders, alongside Shun Tamura, Matt Ashe and Leo Waenga. Their first team play in the Southern Conference and they also have a side in the London Men’s League. Wests finished second in the Conference table last year - winning 10 of their 12 games - and were beaten by arch-rivals Hammersmith Hills Hoists in the Grand Final.
Honours
Warriors won the London And South East Merit League and the London Challenge Cup in their debut year. They were London Men’s Premier and Harry Jepson Cup winners in 2016 and 2019 and won successive Southern Conference titles, in 2021 and 2022.
Challenge Cup history
This is Wests’ fourth season in the Challenge Cup and the third time they have appeared in round three. Warriors’ only other meeting with a professional side came in 2023 when they were beaten 80-4 at Widnes Vikings. Wests won 66-4 at Southern Conference rivals Eastern Rhinos in this season’s first round and were 28-18 home victors against Army two weeks ago.
Notable players
There are a couple of familiar names in Wests’ squad. Second-rower Will Poching had a spell in Rhinos’ scholarship in the 2010s. He is the son of Willie Poching who played for Rhinos in two Challenge Cup finals, was a Grand Final winner in 2004 and a World Club champion exactly 20 years ago.
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Hide AdVeteran hooker Neil Thorman made around 250 appearances in the professional game for Gateshead Thunder, York City Knights, London Broncos and Whitehaven. His brother Chris Thorman is coach of League One club Newcastle Thunder.
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