No it wouldn't and it's not about them having small ambitions. It's about them having appropriate ambitions and appropriate marketing. Nothing stops them going beyond and appealing to people beyond their "home town". In the same way every football club in London does.
But when they've had a nomadic existence, have pretty much no current support and have no roots at all, I don't think it a bad idea to put some down.

By the way Leeds weren't originally called Leeds RLFC. They had a name that most certainly wasn't aiming to appeal to the entire city at the time. As it grew it did and changed its name.
But anyway the comparison is daft as Leeds is a city with a high degree of RL awareness and a lot of interest and participation in the city. In London there isn't.

Thats right, the name London has no association with anywhere. Its like calling Rochdale Manchester North, Oldham called Manchester East and Salford called Manchester West.
Being Nomadic is destroying any fan base, probably at Brentford was there best period, was it the RFL that wanted the title London to prove that expansion was in full gear.

a quid'll get you a tenner that the majority of London sports fans would ask who was in this London Rugby League?

Harlequins, Wasps, Saracens......?????

Harlequins RL on our shirts was mistaken for Harlequins Rugby Lessons .......it was one of the lame excuses MacKay/Hughes rolled out to explain why they changes us back to the Broncos.

What we have been called has not one jot of influence over the demise of the club.......bad management with a massive dollop of megalomania from Hughes, together with "lip service" from the RFL and SKY has done that.

Nobody thinks it is a bad idea for them to put down roots. And yes their support is small. Identifying as a club for a smaller area isnt going to change that.

And lets not beat around the bush, by appropriate you mean smaller.

Every London football club would love to be THE London club. The reasons they arent are historic and not really beneficial to them.


The degree of RL awareness in Leeds is nothing to do with why the Leeds Rhinos are the Leeds Rhinos and not the Headingley Rhinos.

There is a reason why Leeds are much bigger than Hunslet, Why Bramley arent a pro club.

There is a reason why Otley and Roundhay became Leeds Carnegie and now Yorkshire Carnegie.

The reason why people argue London shouldnt be London but some smaller area of it is the same reason people argue against a rise in cap, against marquee exemptions. If only the clubs spent a bit less, it would be easier for everyone to compete. The unavoidable consequence is the game is smaller.

Why? Would you think Leeds should call themselves England Rhinos then? Missing out on all those Cornish supporters.


No I mean exactly what I said. Appropriate. And there is a difference between having ambitions and being able to fulfill them.


Dear god smokey. Honestly, one of these days you'll actually admit that black is in fact black and not actually white.


Just the one? Seriously?

The village mindest from some posters is amazing.

If you are a 'new' sport trying to gain a foothold in London you are going to do sfa by naming the side after a suburb/sub-region. You're automatically alienating a huge amount of possible fans before a game is played.
The British US sport leagues all have 'London' teams for this reason. It's the reason why the Melbourne Storm are not the Knox Storm and the reason why the West Coast Pirates won't be the Highgate Pirates, etc, etc.

It all means nothing anyway if the RFL will not or cannot properly support them though. They need to be able to attract the marketable/big name players either through RFL encouragement or by financial incentives to help win over fans.