History

Hull Kingston Rovers were formed in 1882 by a group of boilermakers and started life as Kingston Amateurs playing in Albert Street to the west of the city in the autumn of 1883.

They played on several grounds on the West of the river including a spell at the Boulevard, later to become the home of rivals Hull FC.

They were also known purely as Kingston Rovers for a brief period before becoming Hull Kingston Rovers by 1885.

By the year 1895 the Robins had transferred across the city to their traditional heartland of East Hull, moving into Craven Street off Holderness Road. The club played many matches prior to 1899, but it was then that they were admitted as full members of the Northern Union, the previous title for the Rugby Football League, this after the great breakaway in 1895.

Their first official fixture was played at Bradford on the 2nd September 1899, losing by 3 points to nil.

Later that same month, on the September 16th, Rovers played their first official home Derby against Hull winning 8-2 in front of a crowd of 14,000.

The ‘Redbreasts’ had to wait until the 1920s for their first period of success, and won their first official trophy by defeating old foes Hull in the final of the Yorkshire Cup on the 27th November 1920.

Hull Kingston Rovers were twice winners of the Championship, won the Yorkshire Cup twice and also claimed the Yorkshire League trophy on two occasions during the 1920's making it a very successful period in the clubs history.

During this period the club moved from Craven Street to their new home at Craven Park at the eastern end of Holderness Road, this taking place in 1922. The first match at their new home took place on the 2nd September and culminated in a defeat to Wakefield Trinity by 3 points to nil.

The period between 1930 and 1957 was a constant struggle with little success both on and off the field. But, by the late 1950's, the Club’s fortunes improved leading to more trophies adorning the Craven Park sideboard with the Yorkshire Cup being won twice and the Eastern Division Championship once.

Then, in 1964, the club made its first ever visit to Wembley, losing to Widnes 13-5.

The 1970's were an up and down period for Robins with the club being relegated to the second division, the league having reverted back to two divisions in 1973. They won the Yorkshire Cup twice, and were victorious in the Floodlit Trophy Final beating St. Helens 26-11 in 1977.

The eighties were the most successful period in the Club’s history. Every trophy in the game was won - two back-to-back First Division titles, a further Yorkshire Cup triumph, two Premiership wins and a Division Two championship success.

The icing on the cake though was three more visits to Wembley, including that magnificent day in May 1980 when we beat our arch rivals Hull 10-5 - never to be forgotten in the city of Hull.

In recent years, Hull KR has won the Northern Rail Cup, been crowned National League Champions and achieved promotion in to the elite European Rugby League competition called engage Super League.

The club has since consolidated its position in the top flight and has been granted Super League licence to play in the competition until 2011. A first ever appearance in the end of season Play-Off's was sealed in 2009, as Rovers claimed a fourth placed finish at the end of the regular Super League XIV campaign.