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Midlands Hurricanes

Club information
Full name	Midlands Hurricanes Rugby League Football Club
Nickname(s)	The Hurricanes
Colours	Purple
Founded	1998; 27 years ago (1998) (as Coventry Bears) 2021; 4 years ago (2021) (as Midlands Hurricanes)
Website	midlandshurricanes.com
Current details
Ground(s)	Alexander Stadium
CEO	Greg Wood
Chairman	Mike Lomas
Coach	Mark Dunning
Captain	Callum McLelland
Competition	League 1
2024 season	5th
Current season

The Midlands Hurricanes are a semi-professional rugby league club based in Birmingham, West Midlands, England. They were founded in 2021 and took over the professional franchise owned by Coventry Bears previously entering the third tier of the British rugby league system, currently known as League 1 in 2015.

History

1998–2014: Coventry Bears Formation and Amateur years

Coventry Bears was formed in 1998 by a group of university students led by Alan Robinson. They made an approach to Keith Fairbrother, the Coventry rugby union club's Chairman and one time rugby league player at Leigh, with a plan to form a team to play from Coundon Road Stadium.

The club played a season of friendly games in 1999 and were then admitted into the Rugby League Conference for the 2000 season and were unbeaten by any club within their division. They then won their quarter-final against Manchester Knights before being narrowly defeated by only one point by Rotherham Giants in the semi-finals at Super League club Warrington Wolves’ Wilderspool Stadium. Further success followed in 2001 with the Bears reaching the Grand Final at Webb Ellis Road, Rugby, only to lose out by 2pts 10–12 in a match against Teesside Steelers. The following season Coventry won the Rugby League Conference Grand Final in September 2002 when they beat Hemel Stags at Cheltenham 21–14. Following on from this success the club applied for, and won, elevation to the newly formed National League Three.

The Bears reached the National League Three Grand Final in 2004, winning comfortably versus Warrington Woolston Rovers 48–24. This score being the highest margin in a final in this Competition. The following season Coventry Bears RLFC experienced difficulties and chose to resign from the National League to take time to rebuild and regroup and set up a community junior section. 2006 saw the return of the Bears as a Rugby League Conference Midlands Premier side, and the club finished the season in second place. They went on to beat Leicester Phoenix in the qualifying semi-final to set up a Midlands Grand Final with Nottingham Outlaws, which ended in defeat

Coventry defeated Nottingham Outlaws in 2007 to win the Midlands Premier and also won the Kilkenny 9s, The Bears went on to finish as runners-up to St Albans Centurions losing 28–20 in the final of the Harry Jepson Trophy. In 2008, the Bears finished as runners up in the Midlands Premier to Nottingham. In 2010, Coventry linked up with Super League side Wigan Warriors.

2015–2021: League 1

The Bears were accepted into the semi-professional ranks of League 1 for the 2015 season, and entered their newly formed reserve side into the Conference League South in the same season. They finished their first semi-professional season in 12th place. Coventry finished their final season as the Bears in the 2021 League 1 season in 8th place.

2022: Midlands Hurricanes

On 3 November 2021 the club announced a major rebranding in an effort to attract a wider support base from the English midlands region. The club was to be known as the Midlands Hurricanes for the 2022 RFL League 1 season. As part of the re-branding the club relocated from Butts Park Arena to the Portway Stadium – home of rugby union team Birmingham & Solihull Bees for the 2022 season. Alan Robinson who founded the new Hurricanes club and business resigned from the Midlands Hurricanes during the 2022 season selling his stake in the professional franchise competing in League One and new business that was created and is no longer part of the new Midlands Hurricanes club in any capacity. Coventry Bears and Bears in the Community CIC Rugby League Foundation moved back to the City of Coventry and still continue to develop the club's history and legacy there. The new Midlands Hurricanes club has since moved to the Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr for the 2023 season and is a new company under new ownership.

In May 2022 coach, Richard Squires, was banned from the sport for three months (with one month suspended) by the Rugby Football League (RFL) for breaching RFL rules on betting. In his absence, assistant coach, Dave Scott took charge of the team.

Former Super League player Eorl Crabtree will take over as managing director in 2025

2025 squad

Seasons

Season (As Coventry Bears)	League										Challenge Cup
	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos	Play-offs
2000: Played in RLC Western Division		2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 ? ? ? 8th 1st 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 7th 2nd 1st 2nd 1st 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 7th 3rd 3rd ? ?									Did not participate
2001–2002: Played in RLC Midlands Division
2003–2005: Played in RLC National Division
2006–2009: Played in RLC Midlands Premier
2010–2012: Played in RLC National Division
2013–2014: Played in Conference League South
2015	Championship 1	22	5	17	0	430	755	10	12th	Did not qualify	R3
2016	League 1	14	4	1	9	289	460	9	11th	Third in Shield	R3
2017	League 1	15	2	0	13	287	615	4	14th	Sixth in Shield	R3
2018	League 1	26	7	0	19	406	1058	14	11th	Did not qualify	R5
2019	League 1	20	4	0	16	365	829	8	9th	Did not qualify	R3
2020	League 1	League abandoned due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom									R4
2021	League 1	17	6	0	11	405	532	12	8th	Did not qualify	Did not participate
Season (As Midlands Hurricanes)	League										Challenge Cup
	Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	Pts	Pos	Play-offs
2022	League 1	20	6	0	14	546	696	12	8th	Did not qualify	R2
2023	League 1	18	5	0	13	408	647	10	8th	Did not qualify	R4
2024	League One	20	9	0	11	566	424	18	5th	Lost in elimination semi-final	R3

Honours

League

• National League Three:

Winners (1): 2004

• RFL Midlands Division One:

Winners (1): 2013

• RLC Midlands Premier:

Winners (3): 2007, 2009, 2010

• RLC Midlands Division:

Winners (2): 2001, 2002

• RLC Western Division:

Winners (1): 2000

Cups

• Harry Jepson Trophy:

Winners (1): 2002

Grand Finalists (4): 2001, 2007, 2009, 2010

Nines

• Midlands 9s:

Winners (1): 2007, 2009, 2013

• Kilkenny 9s

Winners (1): 2007

Women

• RLC Women's Plate:

Winners (1): 2010

• RLC Women's South Division:

Winners (1): 2011

Notes

1. Promotions and relegation are not based of league positions in the Rugby League Conference but by application to the RFL.

References

1. "History". Coventry Bears Rugby Club. Archived from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
2. "Coventry Bears: Rugby league side step up to Championship One". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 January 2016.
3. "An up and down season for Hunslet RLFC". www.southleedslife.com. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
4. "From Coventry Bears to Midlands Hurricanes: Third-tier semi-pro rugby league side rebrand". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
5. Ibbetson, Stephen (11 November 2021). "Midlands Hurricanes home ground for 2022 revealed". TotalRL.com | Rugby League Express | Rugby League World. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
6. "Official Statement Richard Squires". Midlands Hurricanes. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 13 May 2022.

External links

• Official website

• Rugby league teams in the West Midlands (county)
• Sport in Coventry
• Rugby clubs established in 1998
• Rugby league teams in England