Rugby league has existed in Whitehaven for over 100 years, but it was not until 1948 that the current club was founded, being admitted into the Northern Rugby Football League by just three votes.

In 1951 Australian Neville Emery was appointed as player/coach and signed a number of players from his homeland to build a team that could compete with the best.

In 1956-57 Whitehaven came within minutes of a Wembley appearance when they lost 10-9 to Leeds in a Challenge Cup semi-final with a side that featured the likes of Dick Huddart and John McKeown.

Emery returned to Australia at the end of that season and was replaced by Eppie Gibson, who rebuilt the team and guided them to sixth place in 1959-60, Haven's highest League position to date.

The Cumbrian club went through a difficult time in the 1960s, but things picked up in the 1970s and promotion to the top division followed for Whitehaven in the 1980s with the likes of Arnold Walker, Vince Fox and Vince Gribbin to the fore.

However, by the end of the decade Haven were back in Division Two and in deep financial trouble so much so that mergers with Workington were twice suggested when Super League arrived.

Those suggestions were both rejected, though, and Haven reaped the rewards by becoming a National League One club in 2003 under Paul Cullen.

Cullen then left for Warrington and he was replaced by Steve McCormack, who guided Haven to the verge of promotion to Super League, suffering the heartbreak of an extra-time Grand Final defeat to Leigh.

They reached the Grand Final again in 2005, but were humbled by Castleford this time and have not been as close to the game's elite since following the departure of McCormack for Widnes Vikings.