Doncaster Lakers
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Doncaster Lakers are a British rugby league club, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire. They currently play in League One of the Rugby League National Leagues.
They have previously been known as Doncaster Dragons. They are nicknamed the Dons.
History
When it was founded in 1951, the club was simply called Doncaster RLFC. The club originally played at the York Road Greyhound Stadium in Doncaster, before moving to a ground of their own a few years later. Called Tattersfield, it was named after former clubman Len Tattersfield.
At the end of the 1994-95 season the club went into liquidation and Tattersfield was sold after the end of their one and only season in the game's top division. The following a year, a new club called Doncaster Dragons raised from the ashes of the previous club, but it was forced to restart life in the bottom division of the Rugby Football League. They temporarily moved in and the club moved in to share with soccer club Doncaster Rovers at their Belle Vue ground while Meadowcourt Stadium (another greyhound stadium in Stainforth, Doncaster) was being prepared for Rugby League. They played here for a few years before moving back to Belle Vue full time.
They adopted the name Lakers at the end of 2005 to reflect the new Lakeside Community Stadium, a purpose built facility for both soccer and rugby league clubs [link].
This change in name was not greeted by many loyal Doncaster RLFC fans, who felt the club had gone too far with the Americanised 'Laker' tag and let there feelings be known by boycotting matches. The Lakers now have an average attendance of 5 men and a dog. The change in colours from the clubs trademark blue and gold to red and white for home games and green and gold for away games.
| Rugby League National Leagues - National League One |
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| Batley Bulldogs | Doncaster Lakers | Halifax RLFC | Hull Kingston Rovers | Leigh Centurions | Oldham Roughyeds | Rochdale Hornets | Whitehaven RLFC | Widnes Vikings | York City Knights | |
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See also: Rugby League Championship Second Division
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| Rugby league in Britain and Ireland | |
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Competitions Super League | National League | Challenge Cup | National League Cup National Conference League | Rugby League Conference | Scotland Rugby League | |
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National teams Great Britain | England | Ireland | Scotland | Wales | |
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Federations RFL | BARLA | Rugby League Ireland | Wales Rugby League | |
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Former competitions Championship | Premiership | Lancs/Yorks Cups | Lancs/Yorks League Regal Trophy | Charity Shield | BBC2 Floodlit Trophy | |
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