Hunslet Engine Company Rugby Club

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Sun 27 Nov, 2011 5:16 pm

Hunslet Engine Company rugby union club played during World War Two. They played at Hunslet RLFC's ground Parkside and at Robin Hood.Does anyone know anything about this club?

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 11:12 pm

It seems that nobody has any memories of this club. What a pity, they were very successful during WW2. After the first season at Parkside they played at Robin Hood, where Old Leodiensians played. Leeds NALGO played at the same ground in the 1960s. The ground was behind the Coach and Horses, it had a derelict stand and fence around the pitch when I played there against NALGO.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 12:02 am

I am reliably informed that the ground is still in use but for football rather than rugby.http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=robin+h ... 18&vpsrc=6

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 10:17 am

Chiron wrote: Hunslet Engine Company rugby union club played during World War Two. They played at Hunslet RLFC's ground Parkside and at Robin Hood.Does anyone know anything about this club? It was run by Aubrey Casewell a very well known rugby administrator who I think had many years at the leeds and district amateur RL.Hunslet signed Freddie Williamson and Don Burnell from the club. In the war the union/league divide was forgoten, but I suspect the two lads were Rugby League players anyway. Freddie was a boxer even though he had a bad hand from a work accident.In 1942 Parkside was available because Hunslet could not get a team nor "A" team, so the Engine Company Union club were able to use it. It would seem that due to a dearth of players for both codes the Engine company contained the best of both codes local lads. Would some Leeds Salem RU players be amongst them?The very best Hunslet professional stars still around played for Leeds, and two played in the league.v.Union challenge match at OdsalBy 1943 Hunslet could again raise a side, hence Parkside was not available to the Engine company, and they moved as you say. I do not know exactly wether they were a manifestation of the break in hostilities between the codes and the "mixed code" side for south Leds during the war - do you have any records of them post war?Strange times indeed, sadly in 1945 both codes went back behind the barricades. The "war" was not over as regards Rugby.

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 11:45 am

The Parksider wrote: Chiron wrote: Hunslet Engine Company rugby union club played during World War Two. They played at Hunslet RLFC's ground Parkside and at Robin Hood.Does anyone know anything about this club? It was run by Aubrey Casewell a very well known rugby administrator who I think had many years at the leeds and district amateur RL.Hunslet signed Freddie Williamson and Don Burnell from the club. In the war the union/league divide was forgoten, but I suspect the two lads were Rugby League players anyway. Freddie was a boxer even though he had a bad hand from a work accident.In 1942 Parkside was available because Hunslet could not get a team nor "A" team, so the Engine Company Union club were able to use it. It would seem that due to a dearth of players for both codes the Engine company contained the best of both codes local lads. Would some Leeds Salem RU players be amongst them?The very best Hunslet professional stars still around played for Leeds, and two played in the league.v.Union challenge match at OdsalBy 1943 Hunslet could again raise a side, hence Parkside was not available to the Engine company, and they moved as you say. I do not know exactly wether they were a manifestation of the break in hostilities between the codes and the "mixed code" side for south Leds during the war - do you have any records of them post war?Strange times indeed, sadly in 1945 both codes went back behind the barricades. The "war" was not over as regards Rugby. Thanks, this is brilliant. I have just completed the first draft of a book about Yorkshire Rugby Union in World War Two, due out in March 2012, and apart from results and mentions of fixtures in the Yorkshire Post I have really struggled to find anything more about the club. Ironically I spoke to Aubery Casewell a few times in the late 60s as I played RL in the Leeds Sunday League (as well as RU- nobody told Yorkshire RFU!). Our club secretary used to take Aubery's dog for a walk in order to get a sneak preview of the following week's fixture. I think you are probably right in thinking that Salem players would have played for Hunslet Engine Company, as during the war none of the clubs in South Leeds continued to play. I do not think Hunslet E.C. played after1945. The last mention I can find is of them taking part in the Roundhay 7s in April 1945

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 3:51 pm

Chiron wrote: I played RL in the Leeds Sunday League Our club secretary used to take Aubery's dog for a walk in order to get a sneak preview of the following week's fixture. You can tell me who you played for I won't report you to the YRFU!!

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 6:15 pm

The Parksider wrote: Chiron wrote: I played RL in the Leeds Sunday League Our club secretary used to take Aubery's dog for a walk in order to get a sneak preview of the following week's fixture. You can tell me who you played for I won't report you to the YRFU!! I played for a club called General Accident. They played across the road from Chirons on the other half of Soldiers Field. It was always a bit awkward when someone watching Chirons asked me, after the game, in a loud voice 'Are you playing in the morning lad?' I had an article about General Accident published in the most recent edition of Rugby League Journal. General Accident's claim to fame was that they were the opposition in the first ever game played by a student team (Leeds Uni). I didn't play in that game as I joined a couple of months later.

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 7:36 pm

Chiron wrote: Hunslet Engine Company rugby union club played during World War Two. They played at Hunslet RLFC's ground Parkside and at Robin Hood.Does anyone know anything about this club? I wouldn't have thought that would have been permitted by the RFU. Who knows what taints you could pick up from playing on a RL ground

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 7:44 pm

majorhoundii wrote: Chiron wrote: Hunslet Engine Company rugby union club played during World War Two. They played at Hunslet RLFC's ground Parkside and at Robin Hood.Does anyone know anything about this club? I wouldn't have thought that would have been permitted by the RFU. Who knows what taints you could pick up from playing on a RL ground During both World Wars there was lots of co-operation between both codes. Many games played at RL grounds in WW2. Lots of RL players played in RU games and even vice versa. In WW2 the relationship lasted until the end of the 1945/46 season then it was back to the pre-war situation

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 9:17 pm

Geordie-exile wrote: I am reliably informed that the ground is still in use but for football rather than rugby.http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=robin+h ... 18&vpsrc=6 It is the same ground but it certainly didn't look like that when I played there in the 60s. I always thought it had potential for development.