FORMER SPORTS TEAMS: WIGHT RHINOS – PIONEERS OF THE GRIDIRON GAME ON THE ISLE OF WIGHT

Did you know that the 80s and 90s were the heyday of American Football – sometimes described as ‘chess with violence’ – on the Isle of Wight? The recently-formed Wight Raptors keep the flag flying for the gridiron game on the Island, but they play the non-full contact version of the game, in which players attempt to steal an opponent’s belt.  However, back in the day, the Wight Rhinos played full-throttled American Football, complete with shoulder pads and helmets. The founding fathers of the Wight Rhinos are the brothers John and Christopher Wroath. Their curiosity towards the game was piqued when they watched the London Ravens American Football team train in Hyde Park back in 1983. On their return to the Island, the brothers decided to replicate what they had seen in the capital city here. The pair printed posters and took out ads in the papers to find potential players. 20 turned up at the first meeting of a potential American Football team at Cowes Voluntary Activity Centre (CVAC) in March 1983. Their original name was Medina Mustangs.

The gridiron enthusiasts then moved to Northwood Rec to practice, and the Anchor became their unofficial clubhouse. The name Wight Rhinos – after the iconic African animal – was chosen to replace the Medina Mustangs. By September 1984, the required kit had been imported from the States at the cost of £300 per player (bought on HP). The 1st friendly Wight Rhinos game – which featured a total of 35 players in the squad – was played with Torbay Trojans against Southampton Seahawks in February 1985. The summer of 1985 was the 1st league season for the Rhinos when they entered the United Kingdom American Football Association (UKAFA). By this time, the Isle of Wight American Football team had started playing at Carisbrooke High School.

The fortunes of the Rhinos took an upturn with the engagement of an American coach – Dave Sneddon – who had played College American Football with UCLA. In 1986, the Rhinos moved to Sandown FC’s Fairway ground, where they competed in the Budweiser League. 3 years after their formation, Wight Rhinos pulled off their 1st ever win, beating the Duchy Destroyers (from Cornwall) 19-14 after trailing 6-14, in front of 200 spectators. Player of the match was running back Colin Taylor, who ran 143 yards with the ball. The Rhinos moved again when they relocated to Ryde Sport’s ground at Partlands in 1988. There then followed an 18-month hiatus, after which the club achieved their greatest successes playing at Smallbrook stadium on the outskirts of Ryde.

1992 was to be both the club’s greatest and final season under head coach Steve Rains. It began brightly with a convincing 47-0  victory over Invicta Eagles and finished with a thrilling 14-12 win over local rivals South Coast Raiders in front of 250 spectators at Smallbrook. Playing in the 1st division of the British American Football League (BAFL), the Rhinos went undefeated for the whole season, with an unblemished 10-0-0 record. In the Division 1 playoff game, the Rhinos faced London’s Enfield Bullets – winners of the South Midlands Conference – at Smallbrook Stadium. Their squad had been significantly strengthened by the 11th-hour signing of 5 new key players, including Jason Welch. In front of a large crowd, the Isle of Wight American Football side won a comfortable 26-8 victory with running back Welch taking 2 touchdowns. This set up the Rhinos for a semi-final against Bath Gladiators and the chance to appear in a national bowl final. Sadly, the Rhinos’ previously undefeated season ended with a 28-6 loss to Bath – another team with a 100% record of the season. This was to be their final ever game.

There have been attempts to revive American Football on the Isle of Wight in recent times. Enthusiast Doug Snape started practising the gridiron game on the prison estate, before putting out adverts and contacting former Rhinos players. He managed to persuade American Colleges to send over old gear to gather together the required, prohibitively expensive kit. A new incarnation of the Wight Rhinos began at Wootton RFC when Doug Snape teamed up with John Wroath in 2019. They moved to Sandown & Shanklin RFC’s ground, formed a committee, and were set to play matches against the Solent Thrashers and Fareham Knights. Unfortunately, the project never got off the ground when COVID-19 hit, competitive sport was cancelled, and all games postponed. John Wroath says:

“But for Covid-19, American football on the Island would definitely have started again. We had sponsorship, league acceptance, and a ground share agreement. We were also getting help from Steve Rains on the mainland. “There is little doubt that interest in the gridiron game had been rekindled. It was a crushing blow when Covid put out the flame. “But never say never to American Football returning to the Isle of Wight.”

Could American Football – in its full contact version – make a come back? The major problem is the expense. As well as the cost of the protective gear, clubs also have to fork out for insurance and an ambulance on standby. The game lives on locally in its non-contact version: flag football. The Raptors (formerly the Hell Hounds) compete once a month in the Outlaw Flag Football League. Flag football is also played by women. In 2019, the Great Britain team that reached the final of the European Flag Football Championships was captained by Lottie Laidler from Ryde. Did you ever play for (or watch) the Wight Rhinos? Let us know in the comments…