Leeds Rhinos Nostalgia: How the class of 1968/69 achieved their unbeaten milestone

When Leeds beat Wakefield Trinity at Headingley on this day in 1969, it was their 13th successive win and they were en-route to setting a club record.
By Peter Smith
Published 4th Jan 2021, 06:00 BST
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Leeds’ longest unbeaten run in a single season came in the 1901-2 campaign when they went 22 games without defeat.

Twenty of those games were in the league, but the hot streak – from October 26, 1901 until the end of the season on April 19 the following year – was interrupted by a Challenge Cup defeat at Huddersfield in March.

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Leeds won their opening eight games of the 1902-03 campaign, so their overall unbeaten run in the league was 28 matches, across two seasons and spanning an entire year.

Key members of Leeds' 1968-69 team included, from the back left to right: Alan Smith and Syd Hynes. From the front left: John Atkinson, captain Barry Seabourne and Mick Shoebottom.Key members of Leeds' 1968-69 team included, from the back left to right: Alan Smith and Syd Hynes. From the front left: John Atkinson, captain Barry Seabourne and Mick Shoebottom.
Key members of Leeds' 1968-69 team included, from the back left to right: Alan Smith and Syd Hynes. From the front left: John Atkinson, captain Barry Seabourne and Mick Shoebottom.

The Loiners’ longest unbeaten sequence in the league was achieved in 1968-69, when they went 23 games without defeat – all but one of them wins – from October 23, 1968, to April 12 the following year.