The club play their home games at York Community Stadium[2] and currently compete in the Championship, the second tier of British rugby league.

The Knights played in blue and white until 2017 when they reverted to the city's traditional home colours of amber and black.

After a last-ditch take-over deal to save the Wasps collapsed, the RFL accepted the club's resignation on 26 March 2002.

[3][4] A supporters' trust working party was formed on 27 March and applied to the RFL to continue the 2002 Northern Ford Premiership fixtures.

After hearing it would be impossible to meet requirements to return that season, on 5 May fans backed a proposal for a new club to apply for admittance to the league for 2003.

The RFL accepted York's bid to play in the newly formed National League Two on condition that they had £75,000 in the bank by 31 August.

The full name of the new club was revealed to be York City Knights RLFC, following a competition in The Evening Press.

The Knights played their first game at home against Hull Kingston Rovers in the National League Cup on 19 January with a bumper crowd of 3,105.

Mark Cain broke the record for most tries in a match and the score was the highest points tally since the Knights were born.

[8] York appointed Mick Cook as their new head coach in 2005 as part of a partnership with Super League club Leeds Rhinos.

Despite a good late run of form including wins over Whitehaven, Doncaster and Rochdale Hornets, York were relegated back to National League Two at the end of the season culminating in a 60–16 defeat to Leigh Centurions at Hilton Park.

[10] 2007 was a poor season for the City Knights, finishing sixth in the league with ten wins and twelve losses.

Mick Cook quit as coach at the end of the season to run his business and Paul March was appointed player-coach on a one-year rolling contract in September 2007.

After a Sky Sports game at home to Oldham, March was sacked in due to disciplinary matters and then director of rugby James Ratcliffe took over.

The Knights claimed one of their biggest scalps when they defeated Leigh Centurions, who were in the division above, 13–12 in the Northern Rail Cup group stages thanks to a late Thorman drop goal.

Ratcliffe returned for the away game at Doncaster and Dave Woods arrived at York as director of rugby in April 2010.

Dewsbury were also saved after Barrow Raiders received a points deduction meaning the Knights finished fourth bottom.

Chris Thorman was appointed head coach and former Leeds Rhinos full back Jordan Tansey signed for the club on a one-year deal.

Gary Thornton was sacked and was replaced by James Ford for the start of the 2015 season where the Knights are now homeless after John Guildford failed to sign up for the Community Stadium deal.

[24][25][26] The following day a joint statement from the club, the RFL and the city council was issued stating "We continue to work to resolve this situation and are hopeful that ways can be found for James Ford and his players to be able to fulfil the remainder of their fixtures this season.

[32] In January 2017, it was revealed that the club will play all home fixtures in 2017 and 2018 at York City's Bootham Crescent,[33] and that the team colours had changed to amber and black.

[34] In April 2018, the club broke two 24 year old world records for rugby league when they beat West Wales Raiders 144–0, beating the previous highest score of 142–4 (Huddersfield Giants v Blackpool Gladiators, November 1994) and the previous record margin of 138 points (Barrow Raiders v Nottingham City, 138–0, also November 1994).

The team adopted a blue and white kit rather than the traditional amber and black colours and competitions were held in the local newspaper, The Evening Press, first to choose a new name, York City Knights RLFC, and then to design a club logo.

[34][55] On 14 October 2022, the club announced that it had changed its name to York RLFC as an umbrella term with the men's team continued to be known as the Knights.