Elland Road
Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Elland Road, Leeds, England — opened 1897, 384 rugby league games hosted, home of Leeds United (football) — no permanent rugby league tenant, though Hunslet R.L.F.C. played there as tenants from 1982 for around a decade.
Sourcing caveat: Hunslet's exact tenancy start year at Elland Road is disputed between sources: Rugby League Project's own venue history gives 1981-1995, while Wikipedia and rugby-league.com give 1982/83-1995. The end date (19 November 1995) is well-corroborated.
Ground facts
| Opened | 1897 |
| Home club | Leeds United (football) — no permanent rugby league tenant, though Hunslet R.L.F.C. played there as tenants from 1982 for around a decade |
| Games hosted (rugby league, on record) | 384 |
| Top recorded crowd | 54,112 |
| Test matches hosted | 4 |
| Challenge Cup Finals hosted | 1 |
| World Club Challenge finals hosted | 4 |
| Years used | 1897–2024 |
| Location | Leeds, West Yorkshire |
Name history
- Elland Road — 1897–present
Rugby league history
The Elland Road site has a rugby pedigree older than the football club's: the original Leeds RFC played at the adjoining Peacock Ground from 1878, and Holbeck RFC later developed the site before that club folded. Rugby league returned in 1982 when the homeless Hunslet club became tenants for around a decade, and the ground hosted the replayed 1982 Challenge Cup Final (Hull 18-9 Widnes). From the 2000s it became a regular big-match venue, hosting Leeds Rhinos' World Club Challenge fixtures, Tri Nations and Four Nations finals, and an England v New Zealand Test in 2018. At the 2021 Rugby League World Cup it hosted the semi-final on 11 November 2022, Australia beating New Zealand 16–14 in front of 28,113.
Elland Road is primarily Leeds United's football stadium, with rugby league games staged there as one-off showpiece fixtures rather than a regular tenancy.
Historic Test matches, Cup & Grand Finals hosted
- 1981/82 Challenge Cup Final replay, 19 May 1982 — Hull FC 18-9 Widnes, attendance 41,171
- 4 February 2005 World Club Challenge — Leeds Rhinos 39-32 Canterbury Bulldogs, attendance 37,208
- 29 February 2008 World Club Challenge — Leeds Rhinos 11-4 Melbourne Storm, attendance 33,204
- 1 March 2009 World Club Challenge — Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles 28-20 Leeds Rhinos, attendance 32,569
- 28 February 2010 World Club Challenge — Melbourne Storm 18-10 Leeds Rhinos, attendance 27,697
- 11 November 2018 — England 0-34 New Zealand (Baskerville Shield), attendance 32,186
- 26 November 2005 Tri-Nations Final — New Zealand 24-0 Australia, attendance 25,150
- 14 November 2009 Four Nations Final — Australia 46-16 England, attendance 31,042
- 19 November 2011 Four Nations Final — Australia 14-6 England, attendance 34,174
Pre-dates the site's structured match-by-match records for these competitions, so listed here as sourced facts rather than linked match pages.
Notable games played here
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-final, 11 Nov 2022 | 2021 Rugby League World Cup | Australia 16-14 New Zealand |
| World Cup Table, 24 Nov 1990 | 1989-92 Rugby League World Cup | Great Britain 0-14 Australia |
| World Cup Table, 9 Nov 1985 | 1985-88 Rugby League World Cup | Great Britain 6-6 New Zealand |
Only matches we have full, sourced records for are listed here — other historic games mentioned above may not have a dedicated match page built yet (World Cup coverage in particular is still expanding tournament by tournament).
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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