Rugby History Thread

[Padge]

Don't know if this will keep going or not, but, here goes.

 

The idea of this thread is for people to be able to post anything interesting that they come across from the history of the game and somewhere that people can ask questions and hopefully get answers about anyone or anything to do with the sports past. 

 

Also a place to debate the development of the game from an historic perspective.

 

I'll set the ball rolling with a Mitchell and Kenyon Clip.

 

This is quite rare as it shows Manningham playing Dewsbury in 1901 at Dewsbury. Enjoy.

 

 

[Padge]

Lurking elsewhere is this thread.

 

http://www.totalrl.com/forums/index.php/topic/277196-wire-v-wigan-new-years-day-1988/

[Padge]

oops

Edited October 23, 2015 by Padge

[Padge]

One for Huddersfield Fans, 1953 Challenge Cup final.

 

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/wembley-rugby-league-final-aka-huddersfield-v-st

 

 

 

 

[IM2]

read tony collins book its an eye opener

[Futtocks]

This is something I'd like to read more about. From nearly 50 years ago, the barefoot PNG schools team that played 10 matches against Australian opposition and lost only twice.

[Lobbygobbler]

Wouldnt mind seeing the minutes from the famous meeting at the George Hotel....,.

Anyone know where the worlds oldest rugby shirt is (for any club which joined the NU)

[Padge]

Wouldnt mind seeing the minutes from the famous meeting at the George Hotel....,.

Anyone know where the worlds oldest rugby shirt is (for any club which joined the NU)

 

The minutes of the meeting have "gone missing", the RFL did have them however at some point they disappeared.

[Padge]

Wouldnt mind seeing the minutes from the famous meeting at the George Hotel....,.

Anyone know where the worlds oldest rugby shirt is (for any club which joined the NU)

 

There was an original shirt on display in Wigan during the last Rugby World Cup as worn by a Jim Slevin who played in 1897 but is down as an original Northern Union player.

[Padge]

read tony collins book its an eye opener

 

Which book, he has written a few.*

 

*I know which you mean, others may not.

[Padge]

One of my favourite stories from rugby league's history is the 1909 NSWRL Grand Final. NSWRL planned a match between the Kangeroos and the Wallabies, with the Grand Final the curtain raiser for it. Balmain and Souths, the two teams in the Grand Final, unofficially agreed to not play as a protest. However, Souths turned up, kicked off and were awarded the victory! 

 

Bizarre

[deluded pom?]

This is something I'd like to read more about. From nearly 50 years ago, the barefoot PNG schools team that played 10 matches against Australian opposition and lost only twice.

This may not be PC but how come the PNG player passing the ball is white? Edited October 24, 2015 by deluded pom?

[Futtocks]

This may not be PC but how come the PNG player passing the ball is white?

Second-generation citizen from Europe/Australia ancestry? Who knows? If a player qualifies and is good enough, pick him.

[Padge]

This may not be PC but how come the PNG player passing the ball is white?

 

Wan't Offiah sort of dark coloured, and Mal Meniga did seem to be a bit not pale faced Aussie.

 

FFS

[Futtocks]

Keep it civilised please. This has every chance of being a long and interesting thread, and having it locked would benefit nobody.

[Padge]

To$$er.

 

Come on DP, was there really a need for that.

[Steve Fox]

There was an original shirt on display in Wigan during the last Rugby World Cup as worn by a Jim Slevin who played in 1897 but is down as an original Northern Union player.

 

Jim Slevin was a star player for Wigan from the RFU days. He also appears to have done some reffing - just now I was reading the match report of Widnes v Warrington from March 1893 (a rearranged game from November '92 the first match having been postponed due to smallpox in wiretown - Widnes won 2-0 courtesy of a try by J Clarke) and Slevin was the merry whistleblower.

[ckn]

Absolutely no union bashing in this thread.  It will be deleted and a minimum of a warning applied.  I don't want to move this thread therefore I'll get punitive far earlier than normal if people don't listen.

[Padge]

Jim Slevin was a star player for Wigan from the RFU days. He also appears to have done some reffing - just now I was reading the match report of Widnes v Warrington from March 1893 (a rearranged game from November '92 the first match having been postponed due to smallpox in wiretown - Widnes won 2-0 courtesy of a try by J Clarke) and Slevin was the merry whistleblower.

 

Great story, which was my intention with this thread, but the dates are baffling? Should that be 82?

[Middleman]

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-northern-union-challenge-cup-final-halifax-v-salford-1903-1903/

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-halifax-v-salford-1901-1901/

Two more bfi mitchell & Kenyon films, both Halifax v Salford

Fantastic we have evidence of these games

[Steve Fox]

Great story, which was my intention with this thread, but the dates are baffling? Should that be 82?

Definitely 1892. The Widnes Weekly News of 19 Nov that year says the Mayor (of Widnes, I think) asked that the game due 26 Nov be postponed due to an epidemic in Warrington.

[Padge]

Definitely 1892. The Widnes Weekly News of 19 Nov that year says the Mayor (of Widnes, I think) asked that the game due 26 Nov be postponed due to an epidemic in Warrington.

 

That puts about 11 years between the re-arrangement!

[Steve Fox]

That puts about 11 years between the re-arrangement!

Now I'm baffled. Should have been played Nov 92, was played Mar 93. Four months, Shirley?

[Steve Fox]

I love 19th century rugby.

I'm now up to Easter Monday 1893 and the kick off of Widnes v Leigh has been delayed from 3.15pm to 6.10pm owing to one of the Leigh players guesting for St Helens v Runcorn in the afternoon and most of the Chemics players watching that match.

[deluded pom?]

Come on DP, was there really a need for that.

I apologise but I didn't see the need from yourself to make my comment appear racist.