Mr Plow Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 I know there were some clubs late to the party but who was the last/ most recent club to quit union and start playing league? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Futtocks Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 38 minutes ago, Mr Plow said: I know there were some clubs late to the party but who was the last/ most recent club to quit union and start playing league? Maybe somewhere in Serbia, given their history between the codes. Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted. Ralph Waldo Emerson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wigan Riversider Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 Locomotive Moscow as a wild guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie tries Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 Saracens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 Are you talking about English clubs switching from the RFU to NU? Keighley made the switch quite ‘late’, in 1900. Saluzzo Roosters switched in 2015 (and switched back again last year - boo!). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bedfordshire Bronco Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 54 minutes ago, Pie tries said: Saracens If I had Bill Gate's cash I would make that happen... By hook or crook I'd make it happen Besides the obvious reason of being a league fan I also follow Northampton Saints.... It would be the most amazing dream ever to see the cheating #### forced to play TGG... I'd bank roll it with zero attendances if necessary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Plow Posted February 12, 2020 Author Share Posted February 12, 2020 42 minutes ago, Man of Kent said: Are you talking about English clubs switching from the RFU to NU? Keighley made the switch quite ‘late’, in 1900. Saluzzo Roosters switched in 2015 (and switched back again last year - boo!). I started this thread after someone commented on RFU cutting Championship money by 50% saying they should switch to league, which made me wonder when the last club to do so in England was. Although internationally is pretty interesting as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 8 minutes ago, Mr Plow said: I started this thread after someone commented on RFU cutting Championship money by 50% saying they should switch to league, which made me wonder when the last club to do so in England was. Although internationally is pretty interesting as well I think the NU tried to convert more RU clubs but without success. Converting players was much easier. According to the Prof, Coventry talked to the NU in 1909 about switching whilst suspended for professionalism reasons but the RFU got wind and suddenly reinstated them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonM Posted February 12, 2020 Share Posted February 12, 2020 The French RU clubs in Corsica switched en masse to RL in the 1970s I think (and switched back in the 1980s?) The French RL Champions/double winners US Le Pontet switched to Union in about 1988. In Britain, I think possibly some of the Welsh clubs in the 1920s and 1950s may have come from Union - find it hard to believe that somewhere like Ystradgynlais would have a separate union club. The Northern Union's Western League in 1912 saw Plymouth RFC disband and a new club called Plymouth Northern Union with the same players and ground take part and presumably something similar happened with their opponents like Torquay & Newton Abbott. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Number 16 Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Sometime in the 1990s in Cumbria Smiths RU, based in St Bees, switched to RL but retained their union name. They were forced into the switch due to the then dominance of RL along the west coast of Cumbria and they struggled to get union fixtures. My... how times have changed.Unfortunately! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellsy4HullFC Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Celtic Crusaders in 2006. Weren't they the Celtic Warriors in Union? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommygilf Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Cas and KR were late to the party afaik, Cas joined after WW1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headtackle Posted February 13, 2020 Share Posted February 13, 2020 Harlequins had a go for a while Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Rhino Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 On 12/02/2020 at 22:04, Man of Kent said: I think the NU tried to convert more RU clubs but without success. Converting players was much easier. According to the Prof, Coventry talked to the NU in 1909 about switching whilst suspended for professionalism reasons but the RFU got wind and suddenly reinstated them. I'm pretty sure Coventry did convert to Rugby for a while. Back in the day I attended the launch of the RL Conference season at coventry and they are quite proud of this part of their history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevevalerugby Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 On 13/02/2020 at 04:34, Wellsy4HullFC said: Celtic Crusaders in 2006. Weren't they the Celtic Warriors in Union? no the Celtic Warriors was a Regional Rugby Union team comprised of Pontypridd and Bridgend RU players. it ran for a couple of seasons and then the WRU wanted to go down to four regions so Cardiff Blues, Ospreys, Newport Gwent Dragons and the Scarlets all chipped in to pay off the owner of the Celtic Warriors who then wound them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wellsy4HullFC Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 15 minutes ago, stevevalerugby said: no the Celtic Warriors was a Regional Rugby Union team comprised of Pontypridd and Bridgend RU players. it ran for a couple of seasons and then the WRU wanted to go down to four regions so Cardiff Blues, Ospreys, Newport Gwent Dragons and the Scarlets all chipped in to pay off the owner of the Celtic Warriors who then wound them up. And then the owner opened a new team under the Crusaders banner. Pretty much a move in my book Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cumbrian Fanatic Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 On 13/02/2020 at 02:24, Number 16 said: Sometime in the 1990s in Cumbria Smiths RU, based in St Bees, switched to RL but retained their union name. They were forced into the switch due to the then dominance of RL along the west coast of Cumbria and they struggled to get union fixtures. My... how times have changed.Unfortunately! You are correct about Smiths switching codes but they were based in Whitehaven, playing at Bransty. St Bees used to have a team but it was a separate club with Paul Charlton being one of the founders. I'm not sure about this, but Smiths may have switched after St Bees folded as they had a few players who had played at St Bees. Whilst RL may not have the presence it once had in West Cumbria it is still the dominant code, with 5 Copeland teams in the NCL 100% League 0% Union Just because I don't know doesn't mean I don't understand Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Man of Kent Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 1 hour ago, John Rhino said: I'm pretty sure Coventry did convert to Rugby for a while. Back in the day I attended the launch of the RL Conference season at coventry and they are quite proud of this part of their history There was a short-lived Coventry club in the NU. Don’t think it was a conversion as such, mind you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bearman Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Coventry Northern Union split from the union team and the union team were forced to find a new ground at Coundon Road. The Northern Union team played in black and white at the Butts Stadium which was eventually redeveloped as the Butts Park Arena. My Mothers cousin Crispin Carter played in that Northern Union team Ron Banks Midlands Hurricanes and Barrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebrewxi Posted February 14, 2020 Share Posted February 14, 2020 Before WWII in France, Brive, Narbonne and Cavaillon switched to RL; all switched back after the war, the former two to go on to many trophies. Carcassone also switched: there's some disagreement about whether the current League club is a continuation of the AS Carcassone XV team founded in the 1800s and the current team was formed after the war, or is the AS Carcassone XIII team was founded in 1938 Coventry RFC was founded in 1874 and switched to League in 1910, and folded soon after. The current Coventry RU team (not Wasps) was founded about 1913/14, despite what their history claims. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.