Expansionists: Where are they now? London Broncos

As well as Paris St Germain, the Super League also had a capital feel with the addition of London Broncos, who had finished fourth in the second tier the season before.

Unlike Paris, there was a base in London. The Broncos were formerly know as Fulham RLFC and were founded back in 1980.

They caused a stir when they beat Wigan in their first competitive match. However, they disengaged from the Fulham club after financial losses in 1984.

However, they carried on operating under the Fulham name, and moved to a new ground at the Crystal Palace Sports Centre.

They had officially rebranded as the London Crusaders in 1991. This was changed to London Broncos in 1994 when Brisbane Broncos bought into the club.

In the first Super League season, attendances had been the best since the Fulham days.

The following season saw them taken over by Richard Branson and the Virgin group.

In 1999, the Broncos went on to have their best cup run, as they got to the final, although they were well beaten by Leeds Rhinos in the final at Wembley.

Ownership changed hands again in 2002 as David Hughes bought majority shares from Virgin. They marked that season well, as they reached the playoffs. However they were beaten by eventual champions St Helens.

The Harlequins Years

Another change was coming in 2005 as Ian Lenegan bought majority shares. The next season, the club was rebranded as Harlequins in the hope the brand could become a powerhouse in both codes of rugby.

However, the new dawn didn’t bring all it was promised, and Tony Rea was subsequently moved upstairs by Lenegan. Brian McDermott was given the job after leaving Leeds.

McDermott’s reign ended with just seven wins in his final 38 games, as Harlequins slid down the table. They often started well but finished poorly.

In 2012, they announced they would be reverting back to London Broncos. Rea was back in as Head Coach not long after.

That seemed to pay dividends, as the club went on another big cup run in 2013, as they reached the semi-finals. But they were beaten 70-0 by Wigan.

Fall and Redemption

Just months later, the club’s financial position became incredibly perilous. They were about to enter administration, when former majority shareholder Hughes decided to carry on putting money into the club.

They had to move to a new home as well, they moved to the Hive Stadium, the new home of Barnet FC. With limited resources, they were relegated from the Super League after an 18-year run.

The legacy of London has been clear to see. We have more players coming from London, to add to the player pool.

Some of London’s best exports include Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Dan Sarginson and Tony Clubb. Other players like Luke Gale and Luke Dorn made their names at the London club.

The sport has a strong grassroots presence in the capital as well. There are several clubs in the area and a big selection of players for the Broncos to select for the next generation of stars.

They have settled in their new home at Ealing Trailfinders, and are well placed to challenge for a Super League place once again.