The most notable attempt at developing the game in the area coincided with the advent of summer rugby when Chester Wolves entered the Rugby League Conference. They first competed in 1998 and were crowned champions the following season, after a thrilling Grand Final victory over Crawley Jets. Unfortunately, the club were unable to build on this early success as

In 2005 Chester Wolves returned to competitive action after Widnes based club West Bank Bears expressed an interest in bringing Rugby League back to the city. However, this venture failed to capture local interest and the club left the Rugby League Conference for a second time at the end of the 2006 season.

An interesting side note on the history of Rugby League within Chester is that, for many years the city of Chester played host to a hugely popular Rugby League sevens festival, an event first staged in 1979. The inaugural competition saw former Warrington Wolves favourites Mike Nicholas & Frank Reynolds representing Aberavon who defeated Cheltenham in the final.

The Chester Sevens, as the tournament became known, was organised by the Chester and North Wales Rugby League Supporters Association who were committed to the development of the sport outside of the traditional heartlands.

The event, which ran successfully for ten years, became a highlight of the amateur Rugby League calendar and the final Chester Sevens competition was staged in 1989.

The initial success of Chester Wolves and the huge interest generated via the Chester Sevens advocates the belief that there is huge potential for the game within the city of Chester.