2008 will see the Sheffield Forgers running two open-age sides for the first time, building on the success of an unbeaten 2007 MML campaign. An U11's side will also be launched as we aim to start the ground work for a club that competes at all levels. We have come a long way in just 4 years. 

Sheffield Forgers Rugby League Club began life as a Sheffield Eagles supporters team in 2004. The team first played a similar group from Swinton at Hillsborough Arena, Sheffield, losing the game 22-20. Game followed against Castleford Aybertigers (Tag) and the Hull FC Irregulars (Tag), which was played on the famous Boulevard ground in West Hull and the team finished the year by entering two sides in the Annual IMBRL Tag Rugby Tournament at Castleford, with both sides losing all of their games. Despite the the lack of on field success, the concept worked, allowing people of both genders and all abilities the chance to try their hand at Rugby League - an ethos which remains at the club today.

Castleford Tournament 2004

2005 saw the club handed a kit by Eagles legend Mark Aston which had been used for his testimonial game, which game the “Beagles” as they had now become known an identity in Red & Gold. On the field, the season started extremely well, with the Beagles comfortably beating the Hull FC Irregulars at Hillsborough Arena as well as playing a number of Tag and Tackle games against teams from Hunslet, Chesterfield, York, Halifax and the Heavy Woolen Donkeys. At the Annual Tag Rugby Tournament in Hull, the club’s “A” team made it through to the Semi Finals - remarkable progress for the club since their IMBRL tournament debut a year ago.

With Rugby League development growing in Sheffield and South Yorkshire, the Beagles were keen to become more than just a “Supporters Team” and had indeed already stepped beyond that Tag during the 2005 season. A junior Rugby League club was to be launched and based at All Saints Secondary Sports College and The Beagles saw an involvement in the junior set up would be key to the long term survival of the club.

To reflect the heritage of the city of Sheffield’s steel industry, the name for the new club Sheffield Forgers was chosen. The Forgers U13s began their season on a high with a victory over Peterlee Pumas and played a number of 13 a-side games as well as entering the Midlands Development Festivals with varying degrees of success. The Junior team also contributed 5 players to the South Yorkshire Service Area - a fantastic achievement for the team who had only been together for 3 years, with one player selected to attend the Yorkshire Regional Camp.

Meanwhile the open age team entered the newly created Midlands Merit League, playing and winning the first game against Chesterfield Spires at All Saints. However on field success was limited in 2006, with the club not winning another game in the MML. The Forgers hosted Bretagne Nantes XIII and narrowly beat the side 24-22 at All Saints and also travelled to Perpingnan to play the Hull FC Irregulars at the home of Union Treiziste Catalan in France. The end of year Annual Tag Rugby tournament did not go the way the Forgers had hoped, with both sides contesting the Wooden Spoon tournament. It was a long and tough year, but nonetheless progress had been made and with 2007 only a couple of months away, the club put plans into place to strengthen in 2007.

2007 saw a turn-around in on-field fortunes with the Forgers going unbeaten throughout their MML regular league season. The Forgers completed more matches than any of their rivals in the competiion and won them all. Unfortunately a severely depleted team was edged out in the playoff Semi-Finals losing by a last minute drop-goal to the representative side the German Exiles. Nevertheless 2007 was a highly successful year and has seen the Forgers invited to join the RFL Regional Confernece for 2008.