Ebbsfleet and why we do it!
Jake Watson • 15 May 2025
Ebbsfleet and why we do it!
We have had a number of requests as to why we have taken a little break from the Cherry Red Records Stadium during the season in the past 4 years and headed to the Kuflink Stadium in Ebbsfleet - so we're going to break it down for you!
When sharing a stadium with a football team who play the bulk of their season during the winter, there is always going to be a level of complication when it comes to the football offseason and the condition of their pitch ahead of the next season. Therefore, for the couple of months which AFC Wimbledon need to take care of their pitch to make sure that it is in optimal condition ahead of the new season, we need a temporary new home to play our games, and this is where Ebbsfleet United FC comes in.
Luckily, when searching for a temporary home in 2022 during our first year at Wimbledon we came across Ebbsfleet United & CEO Damian Irvine, an Australian who has previously been the chairman of NRL side Cronulla Sharks in addition to working with English Rugby League teams Bradford Bulls & Hunslet RLFC who was more than happy to establish a relationship with the Broncos to bring Rugby League to Kent.
The Cherry Red Records Stadium is being re-laid:
As you know, we share the Cherry Red Records stadium with our good friends AFC Wimbledon, whose season runs at a different time to ours (between July-May). Therefore, in the 3 month break which they have between seasons, they need time to resurface the pitch to ensure that it is in peak condition for the beginning of their next season and because of this, we look to play elsewhere to make sure that the pitch is resurfaced as efficiently as possible.
An opportunity to introduce and establish Rugby League in more areas 'down south':
Taking “home” games to other venues is something regularly and successfully done in the NRL to help promote the game to other parts of the country.
For many years, the Broncos have worked extremely hard to establish Rugby League not just within London but across the South of England in its entirety. With this in mind, we have looked at the need to have a couple of games away from Wimbledon each season as a fantastic opportunity to introduce a new area to Rugby League and we have found Ebbsfleet to be somewhere that has taken to the sport and gathered a strong new support for the Broncos very quickly. Therefore, we have been and will continue to be very happy to host games at this location in the hopes that this growth in support for both the game and the team continues to rise.
Journey times from London to Ebbsfleet are easy:
Another reason behind our trips to Ebbsfleet across the past couple of years have been the easy journey which fans can take to the Kuflink Stadium. From Kings Cross St. Pancras, the journey directly to Ebbsfleet is only 15 minutes long, a similar sort of journey time that fans have for their trip to Wimbledon for our regular home games. Due to this ease in travel, we have had much positive feedback from our fans in London which has helped us in deciding to continue playing at Ebbsfleet into the 2024 season.
We have enjoyed some fantastic results at Ebbsfleet in recent years and look forward to building on those this July with Halifax and Doncaster the visitors.
Tickets for both games can be purchased from the link below.
#WeAreLondon
CENTURY OF TRIES FOR ALEX WALKER! Congratulations to London Broncos legend Alex Walker who scored the 100th try of his career in the win over Hunslet at the South Leeds Stadium. After making his debut in 2015 the academy graduate has been a constant scorer of tries and is also closing in on the record for club appearances - with both himself and Will Lovell now less than 20 away.
POST-MATCH: Mike Eccles post Hunslet victory Mike Eccles has labelled the win over Hunslet in Yorkshire as "exactly what was needed" as we turn some recent positive performances into points. This game was a match up between the league's bottom two but the result showed that the Broncos were the far superior side. Watch the full post match interview with Mike Eccles below and get your tickets for the next game at Ebbsfleet on Saturday 5th.
TEAM NEWS: Hunslet RLFC vs London Broncos Here is your starting line-up for this afternoon's Championship clash with Hunslet RLFC at the South Leeds Stadium. Liam Tindall returns to the starting line-up in place of Connor Barley, Sadiq Adebiyi also returns after missing the last game with illness and Lewis Bienek returns following an injury lay-off. Jack Smith continues on the wing and Louix Gorman returns to start in centre and Taylor Kerr is named as an interchange. #WeAreLondon
MATCH PREVIEW: Hunslet RLFC vs London Broncos London Broncos move into Round 15 of the Championship season on Sunday with a trip to Yorkshire to take on Hunslet RLFC. Both sides will have identified this fixture as an opportunity to kickstart their seasons with both currently occupying the bottom two places in the division. Mike Eccles side come into this fixture off the back of a weekend off so will be fresh and the previous game a narrow defeat away to top-side Toulouse, which will have given the Broncos plenty of positives to build on. SQUAD INFO Mike Eccles has named his 21-man squad for this weekend’s trip to Yorkshire to take on Hunslet RLFC. Lewis Bienek returns to the squad after missing the last month through injury and he is joined in the squad by Jack Smith, Louix Gorman and Taylor Kerr who are on dual-registration terms from Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR & Wigan Warriors.
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Hunslet RLFC vs London Broncos Mike Eccles has named his 21-man squad for this weekend’s trip to Yorkshire to take on Hunslet RLFC. Lewis Bienek returns to the squad after missing the last month through injury and he is joined in the squad by Jack Smith, Louix Gorman and Taylor Kerr who are on dual-registration terms from Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR & Wigan Warriors. The game takes place at 3pm on Sunday at the South Leeds Stadium and you can watch the full match preview interview with Luke Polselli below the squad information. #WeAreLondon
MATCH PREVIEW: Luke Polselli previews trip to Hunslet London Broncos' Luke Polselli says "we're ready to go" ahead of the Championship trip to Hunslet on Sunday. The Italian international has been in good form and has been named in the Rugby League World Team of The Month for the Championship after excelling in the full-back position. This weekend see's the division bottom two sides meet at the South Leeds Stadium and Polselli believes wins are on the way. #WeAreLondon
OFFICIAL STATEMENT Following recent reports in the media London Broncos would like to clarify that no decision has been made in regard to any name change. Gary Hetherington has recently spoken openly about ongoing discussion and research about a possible rebrand however no such decision will be made until an ownership group is in place. “The Hounds” is a name that has been recommended and registered although we reiterate that no decision has been made. As soon as the Club is in a position to update fans with any news this will be announced accordingly through the official channels. #WeAreLondon
GAMEWEEK: Hunslet RLFC vs London Broncos London Broncos move into Round 14 of the Championship season on Sunday with a trip to Yorkshire to take on Hunslet RLFC. It is a return to action after a weekend off following the most recent trip to France to take on Toulouse. Despite not coming away with the win it was a performance which there were plenty of positives to take away from against a team top of the league and on a run of 8 consecutive wins. Sunday see's the divisions bottom two sides come up against one an another so will be viewed as a big game for both.
The Best of North London vs the Best of South London - U14s & U16s!
TUESDAY TRIVIA REVEAL! A reminder of your three clues and pictures for today's trivia with the answer revealed at the bottom of the page. Clue 1 - Here I am celebrating a try with Siri Mociedreke and Will Lovell in 2022.
