The first Lazenby Cup match was held today in 1912. Set up to raise funds for playing fields for the Leeds Intermediate League, Mr. A. T Lazenby was a Leeds committee-man. 6,000 attended to watch what was described a splendid match. In the third minute a Danny Wyburn pass was intercepted by Barron who scored an unconverted try for Leeds. A little later Fred Smith and “Toffy” Toft combined to release winger Albert Jenkinson who equalised. A try for Toft gave Hunslet a 6-3 half-time lead. Billy Batten was absent from the Hunslet three-quarters and the Leeds backs proved superior in the second-half. Barron got a second try to brings the scores level. Four minutes from time Mirfield scored for Leeds and the former Hunslet player Charles Haycox converted. A late try by Webster settled matters as Haycox attempted the conversion with the crowd swarming all over the field.
The Lazenby Cup was classed as a friendly as it was arranged between the clubs. As Peter Jarvis reminds me there was never anything friendly when Hunslet met Leeds!
The 1912/13 season had already ended when the above was played and Billy Batten had touched down 29 times to be 3rd in the league top tries scorers, but he was along behind the top two. Stan Moorhouse and Albert Rosenfield (both of Huddersfield) got 55 and 78 respectively as they missed “All Four” when losing in the Challenge Cup semi-final.
In 2019 Hunslet participated in the initial 1895 Cup for clubs outside Super League. The final was to be at Wembley. Hunslet’s involvement was short-lived as they lost 28-31 at home to Workington Town.
