One feature of the Rugby League from it’s inception in 1895 until 1970 were the Yorkshire and Lancashire Leagues. As there were too many clubs for all to play each other home and away the clubs played all the teams in their county, the results being tabulated into leagues and these leagues’ leaders being awarded a trophy. A number of cross-county games were played to make up the Northern Rugby League (the number varied over the years as clubs came and went). Today in 1895 was Hunslet’s first game in then called Yorkshire Senior Competition away at Liversedge. Two tries and a goal in the first half gave Liversedge an 8-0 lead. Hunslet pulled a try back through Greenwood and a late try by the homesters gave them the win 11-3. Manningham were the first champions with Halifax 2nd and Hunslet 3rd.
A couple of representative matches were played today. First up in 1912 was Cumberland v Lancashire at Workington with William Fowler in the Cumberland pack. Cumberland won the game 11-0.
1959’s Australia tourists were in York today for their Tour Match with Yorkshire and second-rower Harry Poole was on duty as Yorkshire won surprisingly easily 47-15.
Harry Poole
Making his debut in 1946 was half-back Alf “Ginger” Burnell. He had actually signed on in 1943 but his wartime service in submarines kept him away until 1946, although he had played once for Leeds as a guest during the war. Alf wasn’t mentioned in the match report of the Swinton game today except to say he was on debut and was the brother of Don who had transferred from Hunslet to Keighley. He would play 352 games for Hunslet scoring 113 tries and was club captain from 1951/52 to 1953/54. On the representative stage he played 19 games for Great Britain including three Tests and the 1954 tour. There were also matches for England, Yorkshire and a Rugby League XIII.
A slightly more recent debutant today was centre George Clark in 1968 at Keighley. Signed from Hunslet Juniors he would play at both Parkside and The Greyhound Stadium making 189 appearances and scoring 64 tires. He gained a Yorkshire cap in 1974 against Lancashire before transferring to Hull for £4.500.
George Clark
In the John Player Trophy in 1974 Hunslet visited Heading to play Leeds. Despite a bright start they fell to a 10-49 defeat.
Exactly a year later Halifax visited the Greyhounds in the same competition and a Peter Muscroft hat-trick helped Hunslet to a 28-8 win.
in 2014 Hunslet travelled to York in the Play-offs for a place in the Grand Final. In a closely fought game a late scoring burst saw Hunslet go through 32-24.
