Hunslet Engine Company Rugby Club

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Sun 25 Dec, 2011 9:03 pm

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. I understand that after the war Aubery Casewell organised a rugby league team at Hunslet Engine Company that took part in a workshop competition. Anybody know anymore about this?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Sun 25 Dec, 2011 11:49 pm

Chiron wrote: 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. I understand that after the war Aubery Casewell organised a rugby league team at Hunslet Engine Company that took part in a workshop competition. Anybody know anymore about this? The workshops competition was a regular annual event at Parkside, so not only will the Engine Company have put a team in but so will many other forges, foundries, engineering works, factories etc etc. throughout the district.The competition was organised for social fun as Parkside was a community stadium/club up to it becoming a limited company about 1951, but it also was a chance for young men to show if they had what it takes to play for Hunslet. I am not sure because I can't recall everything about the club (have to look up what I've forgotten) but Cec Thompson may have started out from one of the workshop comps.....

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Mon 26 Dec, 2011 12:34 pm

The Parksider wrote: Chiron wrote: 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. I understand that after the war Aubery Casewell organised a rugby league team at Hunslet Engine Company that took part in a workshop competition. Anybody know anymore about this? The workshops competition was a regular annual event at Parkside, so not only will the Engine Company have put a team in but so will many other forges, foundries, engineering works, factories etc etc. throughout the district.The competition was organised for social fun as Parkside was a community stadium/club up to it becoming a limited company about 1951, but it also was a chance for young men to show if they had what it takes to play for Hunslet. I am not sure because I can't recall everything about the club (have to look up what I've forgotten) but Cec Thompson may have started out from one of the workshop comps..... Thanks for this information. I assume that it was Aubery's involvement in the workshops comp that led to his involvement with the Leeds ARL.

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Mon 26 Dec, 2011 1:35 pm

Chiron wrote: 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 There were certainly cross code games played - at Headingley and Odsal, but I must admit I thought that the participants were all service personel, and thus exempt from the RFU's rules on RL.There was certainly a team in WWI that conisted of top RL players, plus a few Union men too, but again they were all servicemen. Would a civilian side from Hunslet Engine be allowed to play on a League ground?

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Mon 26 Dec, 2011 2:10 pm

majorhoundii wrote: Chiron wrote: 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 There were certainly cross code games played - at Headingley and Odsal, but I must admit I thought that the participants were all service personel, and thus exempt from the RFU's rules on RL.There was certainly a team in WWI that conisted of top RL players, plus a few Union men too, but again they were all servicemen. Would a civilian side from Hunslet Engine be allowed to play on a League ground? Surprisingly, there were lots of RU club games played on RL grounds during WW2. In 39/40 the Yorkshire RU wartime cup final was played at Odsal, as was a club 7s a week later. Lawkholme Lane, Clarence Street, Belle Vue and Fartown also staged club matches. Most active RU officials in Yorkshire seemed to have a very relaxed attitude to RL during WW2. My new book about Yorkshire Rugby Union in WW2, out in March, will go into more detail.

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Mon 26 Dec, 2011 2:25 pm

Chiron wrote: Surprisingly, there were lots of RU club games played on RL grounds during WW2. In 39/40 the Yorkshire RU wartime cup final was played at Odsal, as was a club 7s a week later. Lawkholme Lane, Clarence Street, Belle Vue and Fartown also staged club matches. Most active RU officials in Yorkshire seemed to have a very relaxed attitude to RL during WW2. My new book about Yorkshire Rugby Union in WW2, out in March, will go into more detail. According to Tony Collins "A Social History of English Rugby Union"http://newbooksinsports.com/2011/07/15/ ... -2009/When the split with the NU first occurred the RFU were fairly relaxed about Union sides using NU grounds for representative games and finals etc., but after WWI they clamped down hard on this practice.I remember when the Northern Division beat the All Blacks at Otley there were speccies up trees trying to get a view of the game and the thought occurred to me then why hadn't they used Headingley, or Odsal, or Central Park for that matter if the game was so popular? Presumably they weren't allowed to. I think the Yorkshire RU would have been happy if they could have used League grounds, and if they could have fraternised more openly with League people.Maurice Bamford was a regular in the bar at Morley, but I doubt if anyone would have rung Twickenham up and told them so. Ben Gronow (the first man to kick a goal at the then new Twickenham) and a member of the famous Huddersfield All Four Cups team, coached Morley to their first Yorkshire Cup win in the thirties, unfortunately in the photos of the side he is the one person on those photos who goes unamed, as he does in the Morley RFU centerary brochure.

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Mon 26 Dec, 2011 2:39 pm

majorhoundii wrote: Chiron wrote: Surprisingly, there were lots of RU club games played on RL grounds during WW2. In 39/40 the Yorkshire RU wartime cup final was played at Odsal, as was a club 7s a week later. Lawkholme Lane, Clarence Street, Belle Vue and Fartown also staged club matches. Most active RU officials in Yorkshire seemed to have a very relaxed attitude to RL during WW2. My new book about Yorkshire Rugby Union in WW2, out in March, will go into more detail. According to Tony Collins "A Social History of English Rugby Union"http://newbooksinsports.com/2011/07/15/ ... -2009/When the split with the NU first occurred the RFU were fairly relaxed about Union sides using NU grounds for representative games and finals etc., but after WWI they clamped down hard on this practice.I remember when the Northern Division beat the All Blacks at Otley there were speccies up trees trying to get a view of the game and the thought occurred to me then why hadn't they used Headingley, or Odsal, or Central Park for that matter if the game was so popular? Presumably they weren't allowed to. I think the Yorkshire RU would have been happy if they could have used League grounds, and if they could have fraternised more openly with League people.Maurice Bamford was a regular in the bar at Morley, but I doubt if anyone would have rung Twickenham up and told them so. Ben Gronow (the first man to kick a goal at the then new Twickenham) and a member of the famous Huddersfield All Four Cups team, coached Morley to their first Yorkshire Cup win in the thirties, unfortunately in the photos of the side he is the one person on those photos who goes unamed, as he does in the Morley RFU centerary brochure. I do think what happened in WW2 was surprising given the RU attitude towards RL and the draconian rules regarding RL that took up pages in the Yorkshire handbook. As soon as the war ended there were many establishment calls for the relaxation of the rules to end. A Northern club, Manchester, being the prime movers. The 'staus quo' returned at the end of the 45/46 season. My research seems to indicate the many 'blind eyes' were turned regarding the RL/RU issues. RU players playing for professional RL clubs and then returning to play for their RU club occurred without sanction.

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Sun 01 Jan, 2012 4:52 pm

The Parksider wrote: Chiron wrote: 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. I understand that after the war Aubery Casewell organised a rugby league team at Hunslet Engine Company that took part in a workshop competition. Anybody know anymore about this? The workshops competition was a regular annual event at Parkside, so not only will the Engine Company have put a team in but so will many other forges, foundries, engineering works, factories etc etc. throughout the district.The competition was organised for social fun as Parkside was a community stadium/club up to it becoming a limited company about 1951, but it also was a chance for young men to show if they had what it takes to play for Hunslet. I am not sure because I can't recall everything about the club (have to look up what I've forgotten) but Cec Thompson may have started out from one of the workshop comps..... Could Aubery Casewell have played for Hunslet EC during the war? He would been about 33 when they began playing wartime fixtures

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Sun 01 Jan, 2012 5:25 pm

I can remember teams with the names A. N. Other and S. O. Else being published in the local press, this usually signified that a trialist from R.U. was being given a go, this was in the 50/60's.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Mon 02 Jan, 2012 12:37 am

Chiron wrote: Could Aubery Casewell have played for Hunslet EC during the war? He would been about 33 when they began playing wartime fixtures I don't know, it's possible!He certainly stepped forward to sort some sort of Rugby out when all the local clubs were folding due to the war......