Having risen at great pace from the anonymity of the lower leagues, I loved the way they tried to break up the Premiership cartel and their brave fight against overwhelming odds to be accepted. They refused to be cowed and belittled and kept knocking on the door of those who, frankly, wished they didn’t exist.
Three times they were ‘promoted’ to the very top tier via the torturous play-off system although only twice were they allowed to take their place. Both times they were relegated but, against huge odds, they fought the good fight and there were also moments in Europe to remember.
In the 2000-2001 season they won four of their six games in the European Shield including the double over Grenoble and a famous 20-19 win at Perpignan. Just for a while they dined at rugby’s top table.
You sensed it couldn’t last but wished them well nonetheless and when, having perhaps flown too close to the sun, they suddenly crashed and burned, some wondered for their very existence as they started to descend the leagues and fight for their very survival.
Not me, I should add. The Rotherham of my acquaintance were always a proper community-based rugby club, brim-full of enthusiastic volunteers and rugby tragics, who among other things served the best grub and ale on the circuit and afforded the warmest of Yorkshire welcomes to visiting media and supporters.
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