West Wales Raiders

The West Wales Raiders were a semi-professional rugby league club based in Llanelli, Wales. They competed in League 1, the third tier of the British rugby league system, from 2018 until 2022.

West Wales Raiders
Club information
Full nameWest Wales Raiders Rugby League
Colours
Founded2017 (2017)
Exited2022 (2022)
Websiteraidersrugbyleague.co.uk
Former details
Ground(s)
CEOPeter Tiffin
ChairmanAndrew Thorne
CoachAshley Bateman
CaptainMorgan Evans
CompetitionLeague 1
2022 season11th
Uniforms
Home colours
Away colours

The club was founded in 2015 as an amateur club. In July 2017, owner Andrew Thorne bought League 1 club South Wales Ironmen, relocating them to Stebonheath Park in Llanelli. The Ironmen were renamed West Wales Raiders in 2018 and continued to play at Stebonheath Park.[1]

History
West Wales Raiders Rugby League Football Club

In July 2017, West Wales Raiders owner Andrew Thorne bought League 1 club South Wales Ironmen. The Ironmen moved to Llanelli's Stebonheath Park effective immediately. The club was rebranded the West Wales Raiders in 2018 and remained in League 1 and, as such, the Raiders can be regarded as a continuation of the Ironmen club, and their previous incarnation the South Wales Scorpions.[1]

In April 2018, the club were on the receiving end of a record score and losing margin when they lost 0–144 to York. The previous highest scoring game was in November 1994 when Huddersfield beat Blackpool by 142–4; the losing margin was also equalled the next day in 1994 by Barrow who beat Nottingham City 138–0. An Australian news article after the York defeat suggested the team as "the world’s worst rugby league team ever".[2]

The West Wales Raiders finished the 2018 Betfred League 1 season winless and on negative points. The Rugby Football League imposed a four-point, retrospective deduction after the club pleaded guilty to breaching a number of Operational Rules regarding the fielding of ineligible players.[3]

The 2019 season saw the West Wales Raiders again finish at the foot of the table but a win was registered in a home match against Coventry Bears. In 2019 they played 20 league matches and won 1, lost 19, scoring a total of 222 points and conceding 1091.

In 2020 former Wales rugby union international Gavin Henson briefly came out of retirement and signed for the Raiders.[4]

In the 2021 League 1 season, West Wales finished bottom of the table failing to win a single game for the entire year. In the 2022 League 1 season, West Wales finished last on the table winning only one game for the entire year and losing their other 19 matches conceding 1196 points.[5]

On 22 December 2022 the joint owners of the club, Andrew Thorne and Peter Tiffin, announced that the club had withdrawn from League One and the Challenge Cup for 2023.[6]

Seasons
See also: South Wales Scorpions § Seasons
Season League Challenge Cup Other competitions
PWDLFAPtsPosPlay-offs
2018 2600261762106−4 14th Did not qualify R3
2019 20101922210912 11th Did not qualify R3 1895 CupR1
2020 League abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic R3
2021 1801172389421 10th Did not qualify R3[lower-alpha 1] 1895 CupR1
2022 20101914011962 11th Did not qualify R2

Records
OverallPWDLFAPts
84218177653351
League only
  • Biggest win:
44-16 vs Coventry Bears (at Llanelli, 20 July 2019)
  • Biggest defeat:
144-0 vs York City Knights (at Bootham Crescent, 29 April 2018)

Notes
  1. Officially round 1 due to the competitions temporary restructure in 2021.

References
  1. "New owners for South Wales Ironmen". Wales Rugby League. 13 July 2017. Archived from the original on 19 July 2017.
  2. "World's worst rugby league team?". wwos.nine.com.au. 8 May 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2022.
  3. "West Wales Raiders Deducted Four Points". www.rugby-league.com. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  4. Orders, Mark (19 September 2020). "Gavin Henson explains cross-code switch to rugby league". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  5. "Ben Flower to stay involved in rugby league as a coach". www.loverugbyleague.com. 9 October 2021.
  6. Walker, Callum (22 December 2022). "West Wales Raiders owners release heartfelt statement following withdrawal of club from League One". TotalRL.com. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
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