Salfordians living in New Broughton and those new to the area have the chance to make history by playing a part in the re-creation of the Broughton Rangers rugby team.

Rugby League has a proud history in Broughton stretching back well over 100 years. The Broughton Rangers team has left a lasting legacy in the area and the New Broughton Rangers are just beginning to make their mark.

Broughton Rangers were one of the early big teams within the fledgling sport of rugby league during the early 20^th century. Founded in 1877 as Broughton, the team assigned the rangers tag for their second season. Playing their games out of Wheater’s Field in Broughton they hadwon the Challenge Cup twice by 1913. Unfortunately the team fell on hard times and moved out of the Broughton area to become known as Belle Vue Rangers until the mid 1950s, when they went out of business.

The team’s headquarters was at the Griffin Hotel, situated on Lower Broughton Road, giving rise to their famous nickname of ‘The Griffins.’ On 29 October 1878, they staged what is believed to be the first ever floodlit rugby match in Britain.

More detailed information on the original Broughton Rangers can be found in Rugby League in Manchester, a book written by Graham Morris and available from the Willows’ store.