Leeds Rhinos legend Danny McGuire on playing summer rugby in the snow - bygones

With the wintry scenes so resplendent across the county last week, it became easy to start recollecting that rare occurrence: Super League games played in snow.

There are not many, to be fair. Obviously, that should be the case: Super League is supposed to be a ‘summer’ sport.

However, Leeds Rhinos did memorably play in such conditions 11 years ago when they faced Welsh franchise the Crusaders at Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground.

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It was the opening night of the Super League season on January 30, 2010 when the star-studded reigning champions visited the Racecourse Ground.

At one point, it looked like the unfancied hosts, who had moved from south to north Wales in the off-season, might cause an upset.

They were level at 6-6 with just 15 minutes remaining. But Rhinos then moved through the gears, shaking off the biting cold to finally find their usual class.

Great Britain half-back Danny McGuire, so integral to a side that had won the last three Grand Finals, scampered 50m down a touchline in a clinical counter-attack to break the deadlock and open the floodgates.

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A shimmer of yellow and blue against the white backdrop, he recalled: “The temperatures were more the worry that night. It was absolutely freezing. I’m not sure but I don’t think there’d been any snow when we set off.

Summer rugby!: 
Danny McGuire drives forward through the snow at Tommy Lea and Nick Youngquest. Picture: Tony JohnsonSummer rugby!: 
Danny McGuire drives forward through the snow at Tommy Lea and Nick Youngquest. Picture: Tony Johnson
Summer rugby!: Danny McGuire drives forward through the snow at Tommy Lea and Nick Youngquest. Picture: Tony Johnson

“The pitch was actually frozen but the good thing that happened was the snow then came down and that layer of snow was a bit of a cushion. That was the positive out of it, to be honest!”

McGuire lifted an eighth title for home-town Leeds in 2017 before finishing his gilded career at Hull KR where he is now starting his first season as an assistant coach. He added: “You think back to when you played as a kid and those types of games were the best, when it was either snowy or ridiculously muddy.

“You absolutely buzzed off it. But, if I’m honest, I can’t remember anything as cold as that in my time playing Super League.

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“I’ll also always remember that night, though, as it was Brett Delaney’s first game for Leeds.

“He’d come in from Sydney and walked out into that as his debut. It was a shock to the system!”

That said, Delaney, the robust former Gold Coast Titan, was not put off; he warmed up to go on and play more than 200 games for the Blue and Amber, winning four Grand Finals with McGuire.

He scored on debut that chilly night along with Ali Lauitiiti (2), Australian winger Scott Donald and omnipresent captain Kevin Sinfield in the 34-6 success.

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McGuire added: “The seasons seemed to get closer and closer to Christmas. They started at March time, then February time and then all of a sudden we were playing the first game in January.

“We’d been to Jacksonville as well that year, doing warm-weather training in America, so it was even more of a shock.”

Last week, the start of the 2021 Super League season was delayed by a fortnight until March 25 due to the pandemic. At least there should not be any snow again when it does finally kick-off.