Every failed rugby league expansion project after Cornwall demise: from Chorley to Toronto

Another rugby league expansion project has come to an unfortunate end, with news this week that Cornwall are pulling out of League 1 with immediate effect.

The Choughs say financial issues and failed investment opportunities have left them with no opportunity but to pull out of the competition just three games into the new season.

And unfortunately, for rugby league fans, this is not a new experience.

In the summer era, since 1996, there have been a significant number of projects that have started and failed. Some actually never even started at all.

Here they are..

Chorley/Lancashire Lynx (1996-2004)

Chorley, then going by the moniker Chorley Chieftains having previously been known as Chorley Borough, were elected to the league in 1996.

But by 1997, Preston North End had purchased the club, moved them to Deepdale and renamed them Lancashire Lynx. But by 2000 the football club withdrew its support and it was saved at the last minute.

They were renamed Chorley Lynx and existed until 2004, when the club finally folded. Many of its players and staff would go on to join another club that will feature on this list shortly. But before that..

Paris Saint-Germain (1995-97)

In the chaos of the launch of Super League and the switch to summer rugby in 1996, the RFL accepted an application from France to have a team in England’s elite competition. It was PSG who were ultimately founded and accepted, with a lucrative TV deal with Canal+ coming as part of the package.

But it was put together on short notice, and despite being the historic site for the first-ever Super League match in 1996, PSG was doomed to fail.

They finished 11th in each of their two seasons in Super League and at the end of 1997, disbanded. Rugby league has not been seen in Paris since.

Blackpool Panthers (2004-10)

A club was formed in Blackpool after Chorley’s demise. They took their place in the league, with almost all of the squad relocating to the new franchise.

They would play their initial home games at Bloomfield Road, the home of Blackpool: but were struggling to attract crowds even in the region of 500.

They largely struggled at the bottom end of the third tier for most of their existence – with the exception of 2009 and 2010, when they finished fifth and fourth: but lost in the play-offs both times.

And at the end of 2010, they went into administration and failed to provide a financial plan for re-admission into the league in 2011. They ultimately went out of business.

South Wales Scorpions (2010-17)

South Wales were admitted into the RFL in time for the 2010 season after Crusaders relocated to Wrexham, with the sport keen to retain a presence in the south of the country.

They actually finished sixth in their first season but that was their only appearance in the play-offs in the third tier. In their final three seasons, they won just three games – and in mid-2017, they were purchased by West Wales Raiders, who relocated the franchise to Llanelli.

West Wales Raiders (2017-2022)

The move to Llanelli was the latest attempt to lay down more roots for rugby league in Wales. However, they did not have a successful experience in the professional pyramid.

Across four full seasons, West Wales won just twice. They did briefly have Gavin Henson on their books, but it didn’t change their fortunes. And at the end of the 2022 season, the club’s owners decided not to re-apply for entry to League 1 in 2023.

Hemel Stags (2013-2018)

For a while at least, it looked as though Hemel would hold their own in the professional structure. They initially joined for the 2013 season after the third tier was extended.

They finished fifth in their first two seasons but at the end of 2018, they confirmed they were pulling out of the pyramid and had hoped to reply in 2020.

However, in 2019, it was revealed their licence had gone to..

Ottawa (-)

..a Canadian franchise that ultimately never played a single game.

Ottawa originally intended to come into League 1 in 2020 after taking Hemel’s licence, but that was soon pushed back to 2021. Then with Covid-19 hitting the world and travel restrictions taking their toll, it was agreed their entry would be deferred to 2022.

And in October 2021, Eric Perez finally admitted that Ottawa Aces would never play a game in the UK structure, with a relocation to Cornwall.

Gloucestershire All Golds (2013-17)

The All Golds were one of three new admissions to the third tier in 2013 alongside Hemel and Oxford.

They spent five seasons in the professional structure, largely struggling at the wrong end of League 1 before confirming they intended to merge with Oxford to form a new professional club in Bristol.

But that never happened and the current incarnation, Bristol All Golds, play in the Conference League South.

Oxford (2013-17)

Oxford followed a near-identical story to the All Golds. They entered League 1 in 2013, intended to merge with Gloucestershire at the end of 2017 but the proposed professional club never happened.

The Oxford franchise ultimately folded.

Bristol (-)

Both Gloucestershire All Golds and Oxford intended to merge, as mentioned, to form a new start-up club in Bristol that would enter League 1. The plans were even accepted by the RFL.

2019 was the intended launch date.. but it never happened.

London Skolars (2003-23)

One of the longest-lasting expansion projects was a second club in London. The Skolars were initially accepted in the pro structure in 2003 and actually made a decent go of it for quite some time.

But in 2023, the Skolars announced they would withdraw from the league structure and relocate into the Southern Conference League. They now play in the London and South East League.

Toronto Wolfpack (2017-20)

The biggest missed opportunity of them all? For a good few years, it seemed certain that Canadian rugby league was going to take off thanks to the Wolfpack, who were attracting crowds, big players and rising through the leagues.

But Covid brought all of that grinding to a halt. Just weeks after their maiden campaign as a Super League club began, the pandemic hit – shutting the world down.

That left travel and logistics near-impossible and with massive financial challenges, the club withdrew from the RFL later that summer. They have since re-emerged in the North American leagues: but it’s not hard to feel as though we’ll never see the Wolfpack on these shores again.