Ian Anniss

Ian Anniss played a huge role in the Sheffield Eagles and the development of rugby league across the City of Sheffield and beyond. He started watching the Eagles in 1984 in their first season, before encouraging the rest of his family to join him in watching. His involvement quickly grew and he took coaching courses before then volunteering as a coach at the Junior Eagles. He was involved in Hillsborough Hawks for over 20 years, much of that as Chair of The Club. He became involved in wider grassroots and schools development, helped establish the Hillsborough Arena Sports Association and led the development of Hillsborough Arena within the Park. Following the merger of the Sheffield Eaglesin 1999 Ian became a key member of the team who re-formed The Club, becoming a director until 2017. His passion for rugby league development continued, promoting community rugby league and securing funding for community rugby league coaches linked to The Club. He was also key to the relaunch of Include Foundation (now Eagles Foundation). He helped establish the partnerships that saw The Club move to the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, laying the groundwork for the future of The Club. His death in 2020 was a loss not only to his family but to the Sheffield Eagles and the rugby league community as a whole.

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