When London Broncos were relegated from Super League two years ago, it seemed as if it was the beginning of the end for elite-level rugby league in the capital. The Broncos’ failure to make the Qualifiers last year – despite being one of only three full-time teams in the Championship – lent weight to this belief.
However, a second-placed finish this year and one victory from their opening two games in the Qualifiers suggests the tide is turning on the field for the Broncos. Things have been progressing rapidly off the field for Andrew Henderson’s side, too.
With 22 different homes in 36 years, it is easy to see where some of the problems lie when it comes to prolonged, sustained success for London – finding a permanent home and building a fanbase – and Henderson accepts that when he took charge of the club the problems were even deeper than where the first team were playing.
“I identified when I came down that the club was disjointed and disconnected,” he says. “We were based in Barnet, moved to Watford for pre-season and were playing out of Edgware in north London. The academy, would you believe this, were playing in south-west London – it was all over the shop.”
The Broncos have shared grounds with bigger clubs such as Harlequins and Brentford but, in their attempt to rebuild after relegation, opted for the more modest surroundings of Ealing Trailfinders rugby club. Henderson is confident the move back to the west of the city, where they were arguably at their most popular, has been a success.
He says: “Ealing is a borough where there’s no premier sports team really, so we had the chance to be the area’s premier side. We’ve got a 3G surface, our academy can play before us or after us, so that’s important. The scholarship lads, the academy team and the first grade all play at the same complex, they train together and it gives a sense of purpose that we’re all part of the rebuilding together.”
On Saturday, the Broncos will show off their new home and new-look identity on Sky Sports when they welcome the Super League champions, Leeds Rhinos, to Trailfinder Sports Ground. The task on the field is a daunting one, with Leeds on a run of seven wins from their past eight, but Henderson is not afraid to look at the bigger picture.
“The great thing for London is we get to welcome a team of this calibre,” he says. “They’re a massive brand within this country, not just rugby league, and it’ll let people in the south see a genuine rugby league heavyweight here. It’s brilliant for Trailfinders. They’ll get some exposure and hopefully it becomes a regular thing and it will help market the game down here, because there hasn’t been too much to cheer about in the last few years.”
Henderson also believes that his side’s progression on the field, built by stability off it, is crucial for the Broncos. “London has credibility again and the perception of the club is changing,” he says. “In recent years we’ve had a soft underbelly, but not any more. And crucially, we’ve still a chance of getting into Super League. That would be a fantastic story but even if we don’t this year, we can look ahead with genuine optimism.”
Promotion may end up being a step beyond London this season, but with Henderson at the helm the future looks brighter – and more stable – than it has done for quite some time.
The Broncos have built from the bottom up to find an identity within the sport again and, in the modern era of boom or bust, that in itself is a policy that deserves considerable respect.
