Rugby League History – A Foundation Story
The Creation of the Northern Union and the Break with Rugby Union
Sep 22, 2009
The Huddersfield George Hotel saw 20 clubs band together and declare that “the clubs here represented decided to form a Northern Rugby Football Union, and pledge themselves to push forward without delay its establishment on the principle of payment for bona-fide broken time only.” Although broken time payments are the most famous aspect of this decision, it was in reality only one of many factors that led to the creation of rugby league.
Rugby Football and Association Football
The popularity of rugby in the north before 1895 rivalled that of association football. Finals and even normal ties in the Yorkshire Cup were drawing large crowds even in the 1870s. Later in 1890 a fourth round tie between Hunslet and Halifax attracted 25,000 people and made £440. This produced not only a rivalry between the two codes but also brought a significant amount of money into rugby, creating intense competition between clubs.
Working Class Fans and Players
The popularity of the game amongst the industrial working classes in the north was reflected in the players themselves. This different social mileu created different pressures and expectations. The values drummed into players from the public schools never had the same resonance for miners and steelworkers. Equally the fans were unperturbed by the idea of people being paid for a dangerous activity.
London and the North
Equal to this class differentiation was a geographical division although this is created in some senses by class division. The industrial revolution, in England, was concentrated, although not exclusively, in the north. The gentlemen of England found it easier to control committees, ethics and playing habits in the south, especially London.
Ironically they had not seen any reason to encapsulate the ideas of amateurism into the rules, until the pressures of money and spectator support encouraged certain northern clubs to induce players to move to them in order to be more competitive. In 1893 a 'bye-law' was passed that stated: “...only clubs composed entirely of amateurs shall be eligible for membership, and its headquarters shall be in London...”
Shamateurism and Broken Time Payments
In reality the militant advocates of amateurism were preparing a purge believing, quite rightly, that the northern clubs were deeply involved in providing financial rewards for players. Many Welsh players were moving up north with no believable reason why they would do so. Finally the northern clubs formed Yorkshire and Lancashire leagues, a blatant pointer to future professionalism.
An Inevitable Rugby Split
The northern clubs made one last attempt to bring these issues into the light. They proposed a motion arguing that: “...players be allowed compensation for bona fide loss of time.” This was defeated by 282 votes to 136 and the die was cast. On the 29th August 1895 the 20 clubs passed the famous motion and the divide was set in stone, reconciliation never to come. Different governing bodies maybe but it would be some time before rugby league rules would become recognisably distinct.
Source:
Robert Gate, An Illustrated History Rugby League, Arthur Barker, 1989
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