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==History==
==History==
The earliest record of rugby in Leeds comes from 1864 when HI Jenkinson placed an advert for prospective players in the Leeds Mercury. The advert attracted significant interest which lead to the founding of several clubs including Leeds St. Johns in 1870, the ancestor of present day Leeds Rhinos.
Initially, membership of St. Johns was confined to the church classes but this requirement was soon abandoned. After playing at the Militia Barracks from 1870 to 1888 the club moved to Cardigan Fields in the suburb of Headingley. When the Cardigan Estate was sold at auction in 1888, a group of ambitious citizens and sportsmen purchased Lot 17a with the aim of establishing a premier club for the city. This was developed into the combined cricket and rugby stadium known as Headingley. The 1889-90 season was the last season that the club was known as Leeds St. Johns as they became the Football Section of the Leeds Cricket, Football and Athletic Co. Ltd.
In 1895 Leeds joined twenty-one other clubs in the breakaway Northern Rugby Football Union following a meeting of clubs at The George Hotel, Huddersfield. Although full-time professionalism was illegal players were allowed broken time payments of up to a maximum of six [[shilling]]s per day for loss of earnings through playing rugby and reducing the number of players from fifteen to thirteen. Some other changes were made in an attempt to make the game more interesting for spectators but the use of a round ball was eventually dropped after some trial games.
In 1895 Leeds joined twenty-one other clubs in the breakaway Northern Rugby Football Union following a meeting of clubs at The George Hotel, Huddersfield. Although full-time professionalism was illegal players were allowed broken time payments of up to a maximum of six [[shilling]]s per day for loss of earnings through playing rugby and reducing the number of players from fifteen to thirteen. Some other changes were made in an attempt to make the game more interesting for spectators but the use of a round ball was eventually dropped after some trial games.
==Honors==
==Honors==