Rugby Hull Kingston Rovers

Being the other team in Hull – and according to some quarters the more famous team – Hull Kingston Rovers, or Hull KR for short, have enjoyed many battles with their local rivals, with much of the success enjoyed in the 1980s coming at their neighbour’s expense.

The games, between both sides from Hull, serve up some very interesting betting. You can find betting on Hull KR and more rugby league betting by following the links to 188BET. Alternatively, read on to find out more about Hull KR’s history.

The Glory Years

The glory years for Hull Kingston Rovers came between 1978 and 1985, when they won every trophy going with the likes of Great Britain aces Roger Millward, Phil Lowe and Mike Smith to the fore.

Back-to-back League titles, a Yorkshire Cup win, two Premiership triumphs and, to cap it all, they lifted the Challenge Cup for the first and only time in their history when they beat local rivals Hull FC 10-5 at Wembley in 1980.

Kingston Rovers, as they were known when they first started back in 1882, had a number of homes before finally moving to Craven Street in East Hull in 1899.

In the first season at the ground they beat Hull 8-2 in front of a record crowd of 14,000.

However, they were forced to wait until 1920 before the club got their hands on their first piece of silverware, when they beat Hull to win the Yorkshire Cup.

Successful Decade

The cup win kicked off a successful decade for the club as, inspired by Gilbert Austin, they went on to lift the Championship twice, as well as the Yorkshire Cup and the Yorkshire League.

This period of success also coincided with another ground move, from Craven Street to Craven Park.

Like Hull FC, success in the 1920s was not repeated for a while. In fact, until the Yorkshire Cup win in 1957 the club struggled both on and off the pitch.

However, the 1970s saw further success in the Yorkshire Cup with wins in 1972 and 1975, but they also brought relegation to the Second Division.

The success of the 1980s was followed by disappointment, as they were relegated in 1989 to the Second Division, and by the time the Super League was introduced in the mid-1990s, Rovers were languishing down in the Third Division.

It took them a decade to reach the Super League as they were finally promoted in 2006 following the appointment of Justin Morgan as coach.

In 2008 they finished the season in a laudable seventh place and with a licence guaranteeing Super League status until 2011, Morgan will be looking to move them further up the ladder.