New Jersey Sharks
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| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Bucks County Sharks Rugby League Football Club |
| Nickname(s) | Sharks |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Current details | |
| Ground(s) |
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| CEO |
 Tim McCall
|
| Competition | USA Rugby League |
The Bucks County Sharks are a rugby league football team based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The team currently plays in the USA Rugby League.
Originally known as the New Jersey Sharks, the team was founded in 1997 and joined the now-defunct American National Rugby League (AMNRL) for its inaugural 1998 season. Despite the name, the team was based not in New Jersey but in nearby Levittown in Bucks County. They adopted their current name for the 2007 season. The Sharks suspended operations and did not compete in the 2010 season, but rejoined in 2011 and remained in the league until it folded in 2014. Subsequently, they joined the USARL for the 2015 USARL season.
The team was formed in 1997 by Fred Backhaus and Phil Shipos. The Sharks were one of the charter franchises of the AMNRL, competing in its inaugural season. Though they played under the name New Jersey Sharks, they were actually based across state lines in nearby Levittown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Many players were drawn from the local Hibernian Rugby Football Club, or "Hibos".
Throughout their early years the Sharks were consistent playoff contenders, advancing to the Grand Final in 1999 and winning a minor premiership in 2002, though never winning a championship title. In 2007 they changed their name to the Bucks County Sharks, reflecting that they played in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. As a result of internal factors the Sharks suspended operations following the 2009 season, and did not play in the 2010 domestic competition. They remained active outside of the competition; they played a replacement game against the New York Knights after their scheduled opponents, the Northern Raiders, forfeited before the match. In December 2010, the Sharks announced they intended to return for the 2011 season. On January 31, 2011, they announced they would be committing to the AMNRL, rather than the upstart USA Rugby League.
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