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Wasps RFC
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===London Wasps: 1999β2014=== {{more citations needed section|date=October 2014}} [[File:Wasps Perpignan.jpg|thumb|150px|A match between Wasps and Perpignan in 2006]] In the summer of 1999, the professional team β which had been operating as Wasps RFC (professional) since the 1996β97 season β was renamed as London Wasps, to differentiate it from [[Wasps FC]], the amateur side of the club. At the same time they adopted a new logo, which was selected as being in keeping with the club's history. {{Citation needed|reason=London Wasps|date=March 2007}} In 2001 ex-Wigan rugby league star [[Shaun Edwards]] joined as a coach. He has largely been credited with creating Wasps' famous [[Blitz Defence]] that stops teams and is the basis for Wasps' own scoring chances.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} London Wasps agreed to move out of Loftus Road to allow [[Fulham F.C.]] to groundshare for two seasons between 2002 and 2004, while their ground, [[Craven Cottage]], was redeveloped. They became tenants to [[Wycombe Wanderers F.C.]] at [[Adams Park]] at the end of the 2001β02 season. The success of Wasps at their new ground meant they did not return to Loftus Road after Fulham left. In the [[2002β03 European Challenge Cup]], Wasps made their way to the final, where they met [[Bath Rugby|Bath]]. Though Bath beat them in numerous finals in the 1990s, Wasps emerged as champions, winning 48β30 at the [[Madejski Stadium]]. They also defeated [[Northampton Saints]] in the Premiership semi-final, after finishing second in the league table. They then faced [[Gloucester Rugby|Gloucester]] in the final at [[Twickenham Stadium|Twickenham]], to win in their first English title since 1997, by 39 points to 3. Wasps finished top of their pool in the [[2003β04 Heineken Cup]], where they went on to defeat [[Gloucester RFC|Gloucester]] at the quarter-finals and won a final berth after beating [[Munster Rugby|Munster]] 37β32 in the semi-finals. They met [[Stade Toulousain|Toulouse]] in the final at Twickenham, where they became champions, defeating the French side 27β20, winning their first [[Heineken Cup]]. Wasps followed up the win the following week, again at Twickenham, by beating Bath to retain the title of England's champion side, and complete a double. In December 2004 the RFU revealed that the team was to be disqualified from the [[EDF Energy Cup|Powergen Cup]] for fielding an ineligible player, [[Hooker (rugby union)|hooker]] Jonny Barrett, in a sixth-round game against [[Bristol Rugby|Bristol]].<ref name="powergencup">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/4121055.stm |title=Wasps thrown out of Powergen Cup |website=BBC Sport |access-date=7 April 2007 |date=23 December 2004}}</ref> Wasps went through the season well, after the cup glitch, and retained the English title for a second time, by beating [[Leicester Tigers]] in the final at Twickenham. Edwards, however, was not a totally happy man as Wasps conceded their first try of the three Premiership finals in the dying minutes.{{Citation needed|reason=date-May 2010|date=May 2010}} [[Warren Gatland]] signed off at Wasps with a rare smile to continue his coaching with [[Waikato Rugby Union|Waikato]] in [[Air New Zealand Cup|New Zealand]].{{Citation needed|reason=date-May 2010|date=May 2010}} [[Ian McGeechan]] became the new Director of Rugby at Wasps from the 2005β06 season, taking over from Gatland. Wasps won the [[EDF Energy Cup|Powergen Anglo-Welsh Cup]] in the 2005β06 season, beating [[Scarlets|Llanelli Scarlets]] in the final at Twickenham. Before the 2006β07 season began, Wasps won the Middlesex 7s in Twickenham, beating [[Leicester Tigers]] in the final. {{citation needed|date=November 2015}} In England's game against Wales at the [[Millennium Stadium]] in Cardiff in the [[2007 Six Nations Championship]], Wasps supplied the back row of the scrum, [[James Haskell]], [[Joe Worsley]] and [[Tom Rees (rugby player)|Tom Rees]] all made an appearance.<ref name="backrow2">{{cite web |url=http://www.wasps.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=27964&newstype=N |title=Backrow |publisher=Wasps.co.uk |access-date=7 April 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927020501/http://www.wasps.co.uk/newspage.ink?nid=27964&newstype=N |archive-date=27 September 2007 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> This was the first time that any club supplied the entire back row.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} Unfortunately for England, Wales won the encounter 27 to 18.<ref name="sixnat">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6454287.stm |title=Wales 27β18 England |publisher=BBC |access-date=7 April 2007 |date=17 March 2007}}</ref> [[File:Wasps HEC Final 2007.JPG|thumb|300px|Wasps celebrate after their win in 2007]] In the 2006β07 Heineken Cup, Wasps qualified by topping their group for a home quarter-final. They were drawn against [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]] on 31 March. There was a full house at [[Adams Park]], and three players in total were sent to the [[Penalty box#Rugby football|sin bin]], [[Lawrence Dallaglio]] in the last moments of the first half, [[Dominic Waldouck]] of London Wasps and [[Malcolm O'Kelly]] of [[Leinster Rugby|Leinster]] later spent time there as well.<ref name="hcup">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/6502717.stm |title=Wasps 35β13 Leinster |publisher=BBC |access-date=7 April 2007 |date=31 March 2007}}</ref> The final score was 35β13 to wasps. In the semi-final at Coventry City's [[Ricoh Arena]] on 22 April, Wasps beat [[Northampton Saints|Northampton]] 30β13 and in doing so, gained a place in the Heineken Cup Final against Leicester Tigers at Twickenham. Leicester Tigers were the favourites, as they had already won the Anglo-Welsh cup and the Guinness Premiership, the latter just the week before. Wasps went ahead early, and while Leicester kept in the match, Wasps won 25β9, thanks to penalties by [[Alex King (rugby union)|Alex King]] and tries by [[RaphaΓ«l IbaΓ±ez]] and [[Eoin Reddan]] to become 2007 champions. During the 2007β08 season, Wasps went from 10th in the league during October, to beat Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership Final. This sealed a dream send-off for the retiring Lawrence Dallaglio at Twickenham. Wasps won 26β16 thanks to penalties by [[Mark van Gisbergen]] and tries by Josh Lewsey and Tom Rees to become the English 2008 champions. Wasps have now won six league titles in all, equal with Bath and just one behind Leicester. The 2008β09 season was to see Wasps come unstuck. With their captain having retired, many of the players failed to play to their full potential. Wasps would eventually finish in seventh place, having also failed to reach the knock-out stages of the Heineken Cup and EDF Anglo Welsh Cup. On 12 May 2009 it was announced in the evening standard that Ian McGeechan had been forced to step down and will now take a consultancy role both at London Wasps and London Scottish.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23689490-details/Lions+coach+Ian+McGeechan+is+forced+out+by+Wasps/article.do |title=Lions coach is forced out by Wasps |access-date=12 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090515173037/http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard-sport/article-23689490-details/Lions+coach+Ian+McGeechan+is+forced+out+by+Wasps/article.do |archive-date=15 May 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> This was confirmed by the BBC on 14 May.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/london_wasps/8047377.stm |work=BBC News |title=McGeechan's Wasps exit confirmed |date=14 May 2009 |access-date=11 May 2010}}</ref> Tony Hanks, a former coach at the club, was announced as the new Director of Rugby soon after. He had more recently been coaching at [[Waikato Rugby Union|Waikato]] and also been a stand in for McGeechan for the latter part of the 2008/09 season, while he was primarily committed to [[British and Irish Lions]] duty. McGeechan had technically been a Lions employee for the whole season and through agreement with Wasps was loaned back to the club. The 2009β10 season started off with an exodus of key players including [[James Haskell]] and [[Tom Palmer (rugby union)|Tom Palmer]] who moved to [[Stade FranΓ§ais]], [[Riki Flutey]] who also crossed the channel to join Brive and [[Eoin Reddan]] who left to join Leinster in Ireland. In late February it was announced that [[Danny Cipriani]] would be leaving for the [[Melbourne Rebels]] in Australia and he was determined to leave on a high. After beating Gloucester 42β26 in the quarter-final of the [[European Challenge Cup|Amlin Cup]] scoring five tries (including a hat-trick from winger [[Tom Varndell]]), Wasps lost 15β18 at home to [[Cardiff Blues]] in the semi-final with [[Dave Walder]] kicking all of Wasps points with five penalties. Cardiff subsequently beat French Top 14 side [[RC Toulonnais|Toulon]] in the final of the competition at the [[Stade VΓ©lodrome]] in [[Marseille]]. Shaun Edwards left the club in November 2011.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/nov/01/shaun-edwards-london-wasps-wales |location=London |work=The Guardian |first=Mike |last=Averis |title=England and Wales on alert as Shaun Edwards leaves London Wasps |date=1 November 2011}}</ref> Wasps had a poor 2011β12 season, finishing in their lowest position for many seasons in 11th place, narrowly avoiding relegation from the Premiership. The season was notable for a good start where Wasps beat with a 15β20<ref>[http://www.scorespro.com/rugby-union/livescore/saracens-vs-london-wasps/03-09-2011/ Saracens β London Wasps: 15β20 (Match Report)] ScoresPro.com</ref> reigning champions Saracens at Twickenham in the opening match and then runners-up Leicester in the second match with a 35β29.<ref>[http://www.scorespro.com/rugby-union/livescore/london-wasps-vs-leicester-tigers/11-09-2011/ London Wasps β Leicester Tigers: 35β29 (Match Report)] ScoresPro.com</ref> Things went downhill from there on as the worst injury toll known to professional rugby union hit the squad with a combined total of 16 serious and long-term injuries and retirements.{{citation needed|date=October 2014}} Dai Young recruited well through the summer bringing in players such as Andrea Masi (2012 6 Nations Player Of The Tournament) and Stephen Jones. He also welcomed back former Wasps Tom Palmer and James Haskell. Wasps beat their record of their European highest-scoring margin with a 90β17 win against [[Viadana Rugby|Viadana]] on 12 October 2013, beating the 77β17 margin of victory against Toulouse on 26 October 1996.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amlin Challenge Cup Pool Four: Viadana 17β90 London Wasps|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/24468347|publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=12 October 2013|date=12 October 2013}}</ref>
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