London's Super League club has reverted to its former name of London Broncos ahead of Super League XVII.
Club will continue to play at The Stoop
London's Super League club has reverted to its former name of London Broncos ahead of Super League XVII.
The London-based rugby league team originally became known as the Broncos when the Australian club, the Brisbane Broncos, took over the then Second Division side, London Crusaders in 1994. It has since had a six-year spell as Harlequins Rugby League.
Chairman David Hughes commented: "I am delighted that we are returning to be the London Broncos. It is a name that resonates with success on the pitch and that is what we want to achieve next season.
"I have committed to the club definitely for the next three years during this Super League license period and we will work hard to retain that in three years' time and become a club to be reckoned with both on and off the pitch."
The new brand uses elements of the original Broncos design, updating the original model.
The home kit is predominantly black with a bright blue trim while the away kit reverses this design with a bright blue strip trimmed with black.
Gus Mackay, Chief Executive added: "It took a lot of work to get to where we are, but we are really happy with the results and are all excited about the future as London Broncos.
Fans' views
"We engaged with fans and stakeholders and included as many people as possible in the rebrand process so as to take on board everybody's views. The fans and players mostly pointed towards a return to the London Broncos and their ideas are reflected within the brand concept.
"We needed to make a change to our name for various reasons. This relaunch provides us with a unique opportunity to target a new audience and raise awareness of our club as well as that of Super League in London.
"We are committed to making Super League a success story in London and this is a key part of that campaign."
The rebrand will be complemented by a new website which will be fully built and implemented in time for the start of the 2012 season.
Alongside the website there will be a new Twitter and Facebook offering to enable the club to engage more easily with its fans and supporters.
Rob Powell, London Broncos Rugby League head coach said: "Going back to being the London Broncos is a great move. The players and playing staff are all behind it and it's an opportunity for a new start for this club albeit under an old name.
"We have invested heavily in the team over the off-season and we are all really excited about pre-season and getting ready for next year."
Home matches will continue to be played at The Twickenham Stoop Stadium in the 2012 season, with the exception of a couple of games which are scheduled to be played elsewhere in an effort to showcase the game to a wider audience. Negotiations are ongoing for a new three-year agreement for all home matches to be played at The Stoop.
