Midlands Hurricanes to become Birmingham Hurricanes

Rugby league club Midlands Hurricanes is to change its name to Birmingham Hurricanes from the 2027 season, as it sets down permanent roots in the city.

The club plays its home games at Avery Fields in Bearwood, on the western edge of the city, which has become its permanent home.

A club on the move

The club began life as Coventry Bears and was rebranded as Midlands Hurricanes five years ago. Taking Birmingham's name is the latest step in efforts to build a sustainable professional rugby league club in the city.

The club's owner, Mike Lomas, said: "We have always had the ambition to find somewhere that we could genuinely call home."

Managing director Eorl Crabtree said: "Moving to Birmingham Hurricanes is one of the biggest decisions we have made about the future of this club."

"We are taking the name of the second biggest city in the country, and I think that says a lot about our ambition," he said.

Why the change

The club says the new name will help it build genuine roots in the city, strengthen commercial partnerships with Birmingham businesses and attract new supporters to rugby league. It will continue to support the development of the sport across the wider Midlands.

Who is Eorl Crabtree?

Eorl Crabtree is a former England and Huddersfield Giants prop forward who played around 300 games for Huddersfield. Since retiring, he has worked to promote rugby league and grow the game in new areas.

Rugby league in the Midlands

Rugby league has traditionally been strongest in the north of England, particularly in Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria. Clubs in other parts of the country, including in London, Cornwall and the Midlands, have worked to grow the game in areas without a long rugby league tradition.

The sport's governing body has said it wants the game to reach new audiences, and having a club carrying the name of the country's second largest city could help with that.

A growing audience

Birmingham's large and young population, and its central location, make it an attractive place for sports trying to reach new fans. Organisers of major events often point to the city's experience of staging the 2022 Commonwealth Games and this summer's European Athletics Championships.

Community rugby

As well as its first team, the club works with schools and community clubs to introduce children and young people to rugby league. Clubs say the sport offers a way for young people to stay active and build confidence and friendships.

A busy sporting city

The announcement adds to a busy period for sport in Birmingham. Warwickshire won the County Championship in September, both Aston Villa and Birmingham City have teams in the Women's Super League, and the city will host the Invictus Games at the NEC next summer.

Getting involved

Supporters can follow the club through its website and social media, where details of fixtures, tickets and the new branding will be announced ahead of the 2027 season.

The rules of rugby league

Rugby league is played with 13 players a side, two fewer than rugby union. Teams have six tackles to move the ball up the field before handing possession to the other side, which makes the game fast and physical, with fewer stoppages than union. It was born in 1895, when clubs in the north of England broke away from the Rugby Football Union over payments to players.