Wakefield RFC was an English rugby union club, founded in 1901 and folded in 2004 as a result of poor finances, with a trading loss of £105,000 for the season and unsecured creditors' loans of approximately £640,000.

Silcoates School produced among others, Steve Townend, the club's second-leading appearance maker and prolific point scorer, who was to join the coaching staff after finishing his playing days, eventually becoming Director of Rugby.

The club's first honours were in 1920, when they won the Yorkshire Cup ("T’owd tin pot") and were to win it on a further seven occasions, (1922, 1969, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994).

Declining attendances and a struggle to cope with professionalism led to the club to seek solutions for its long-term future.

With relegation comes a drop in RFU payments which added to the financial problems of a trading loss of £105,000 for the season and unsecured creditors' loans of approximately £640,000.

[1] In a memo to the House of Commons Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport dated 11 May 1999, the club reported "Wakefield RFC has since the advent of professional rugby [union] made cumulative operating losses of approximately £500,000".

[4] A merger with cross-city rivals Sandal, formed in 1927 by former Wakefield player Claude Beaumont, failed to materialise.

Diccon Edwards is in charge of the Leeds Carnegie Academy, Jimmy Rule is Chief Executive at Hull F.C.

Rugby League club, and Ryan Duckett is General Manager and Director of Operations of Bradford Bulls.