Recent Hall Of Fame inductee David Brook made his debut today in 1990 at Trafford Borough. He signed from Middleton Marauders and was with Hunslet until 2003. After a tentative introduction to first team rugby (just 3 appearances in his first season), he made the stand-off spot his own in his second season and went on to play 178 games scoring 72 tries, 2 goals and 9 drop goals. There were a couple of loan spells with York and in April 1993 he scored four tries at Ryedale-York, equalling the tries in a match record for the new club.He is the grandson of 1920s forward Charlie Sage.
David Brook
Debuting with David was goal kicking forward Andy Precious. A product of York All Blacks ARLFC, he was with Hunslet for four seasons before moving back to his home city to play with Ryedale-York. He had played 91 games for Hunslet kicking 192 goals, touching down 10 times and dropping 13 goals. In 1991 Andy was a playing substitute with Great Britain Under-21s against Papua New Guinea at Headingley.
Andy Precious
Today’s 1912 Monday edition of Leeds Mercury carried a story about Hunslet’s International winger Albert Jenkinson appearing in court on a drunk and disorderly charge. He had been found around 12.30 on Saturday morning in a garage on Lower Briggate causing a disturbance and the police described him as ‘very drunk’. On the way to the police station he became very violent and threw an officer to the ground. The officer giving evidence quoted Jenkinson as ‘offering to fight the best two officers on the force’ or three like me! Jenkinson’s defence was that he went to the garage for a taxi-cab as he had to be up early to get the train to Coventry for Hunslet’s game and admitted tripping the policeman in self-defence. It appears that everyone in court knew who he was except the Magistrate who asked him what was his occupation (“I’m out of work at the moment”), what he usually did (“I’m a labourer by trade”) and what he was doing in Leeds (“Living by my wits”) to which there was much laughter in the court. The policeman then advised the magistrate who Jenkinson was which ended the questioning and he was fined 20s, or, if in default, 14 days hard labour.
In 1931 Hull Kingston Rovers visited Parkside in the Yorkshire Cup first round and Hunslet had little difficulty in seeing them off 27-7 with a dominant second-half display.
Two years later it was Hunslet on the road with a trip to Castleford. Hunslet were 9-5 in front going in to the final stages but a Walkington clearing kick was charged down presenting Cas with five points and the lead. With the last move of the game, Cyril Morrell broke through and looked all over a scorer until he was elbowed into touch as he reached the try line.
In 2021 Hunslet signed Dean Zammitt, formerly with Whitehaven. Unfortunately he suffered a work place injury before making his first team debut. He played in the following season’s Harry Jepson Memorial game and we have to assume Hunslet retained his registration through the close season. If so, he would be Hunslet’s only Maltese international, playing against Czechia and Turkey in the October 2021 European Championship. The Yearbook does not list the player’s clubs.
Dean Zammitt
In the 1950 Wales v England game at Abertillerry the Welsh had selected Jack Evans and Granville James at full-back and second-row. It was Jack’s first Welsh cap. Wales lost their scrum-half early in the game and although they held England to 9-4 at half-time they tired in the second-half, losing 4-22.
In 1903 James Jackson played against Cheshire for Cumberland at Maryport in a game won by Cheshire 9-8.
James Jackson
