A few representatives plying their trade today…..
In 1894 Owen Walsh was representing Yorkshire in a clash with Somersetshire at Weston-Super-Mare. Yorkshire ran out comfortable winners 18-0 with Owen scoring one of the tries.
On the same day in 1904, James Jackson was at half back for Cumberland against Lancashire at Wigan, Lancashire winning 15-0 to secure the County Championship for the 6th time in 9 seasons, 1906 saw Jackson and Billy Eagers in the Cumberland team against a Yorkshire side including Charlie Ward on the wing and Walter Wray and Harry Wilson in the forwards. The match was played at Whitehaven and Cumberland were 5-0 winners.
The programme for today in 1912 carried a report of the Ebbw Vale game in Wales. The players stayed over in Hereford on the Friday night (in bed by midnight!), After an 8 o’clock breakfast, a train ride into the valleys and an 8-0 win in pouring rain, they came straight back to Leeds on the Saturday. Arriving in Leeds at 3.30 on Sunday morning, the players had to walk home from the station!
The same programme reports Albert Jenkinson was unable to play today as he had Quincy(?). From Google, this seems to be similar to tonsillitis.
Every club has it’s unsung heroes, the guys who didn’t play every week, put their time in in the Reserves, but came in when needed and put in the graft that’s required. Hunslet have had their fair share in the past and one made his debut today in 1934 , a centre called Franks Yates. Up against Cyril Morrell and Ernest Winter as first choice centres chances would be limited, but Frank did have a couple of prolific seasons, appearing 30 time in each (in the days when there were 40 + games a season), racking up 143 matches and 41 tries in 9 seasons.
