Goodbye Winter, Hello Summer
1996 saw the end of the traditional winter seasons for Hunslet as the game moved on to become a summer sport.
Of course, this being Rugby League, the first game of the summer era had already been played, Skirlaugh being Hunslet’s first visitors on the 14th January in the 1996 Challenge Cup. Our final opponents of the winter were Highfield at the SLS, and we recorded our highest victory to date in a win by 82 points to 0.
Hunslet finished 3rd out of 11 teams in the snappily titled Stones Bitter Centenary Second Division with 14 wins from their 20 games. One small achievement was reaching the third round of the Regal Trophy (formally the John Player Trophy) in its final season. This was the only time this was achieved since the tournament’s inception in 1971.
As season 1995/96 ended David Brook had appeared in all twenty three games, Steve Pryce, Jason Viller and Matt Lambert one behind on twenty two. Jason was top try scorer with eighteen and Gary Richardson second with fifteen. Top goal scorer was Simon Wilson with forty two and David Close landed seven drop goals.
The highest home attendance was, not surprisingly, for the first game at South Leeds Stadium against Leigh Centurions, with the second game against Carlisle being the only other 1,000+ home attendance.
An important debut today in 1928 when Welsh hooker Les White made the first of his 495 Hunslet appearances, his last being in the 1946 Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to Wakefield Trinity. He played in the three finals in the 1930s. Internationally, he gained 8 Great Britain caps, 7 Welsh caps and 4 appearances for Other Nationalities and another 24 rep games for County and wartime teams. He played in the 1932 tour trial, getting a place on the ship and playing a further tour games for Great Britain.
Truly a great Hunslet player.
