Leeds rugby clubs

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 7:07 pm

geoffb wrote: Great days of amateur rugby. The games that stick in my mind are up at Halifax Vandals playing somewhere at the top of a hill, the ball goes over a dry stone wall so one of our team jumps over the wall only the other side had a drop of about 6ft. a broken ankle was the result. This reminded me of games of Rugby League at Thornhill Lees, next to the River Calder in Dewbury. They had a rowing boat to fish out lost balls - as you say great days.

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 9:25 pm

majorhoundii wrote: I played for Morley most of the third and fourth teams' fixtures were in North Leeds, Moortown, Alwoodley, Old Leos (on Moortown's ground IIRC) Roundhay, Rounhegians (on Soldiers Fields) Yarnbury, Lawnswood YMCA, Headingley, Kirkstall are some names that come to mind. Leeds NALGO were another team but they were based behind a pub near Rothwell. Morley are down to two teams now I think? Participation in local rugby and soccer has gone downhill over the last 20 years.Some names there! I don't recognise "Alwoodley" are you thinking of Leo's there? Kirkstall?? Are you meaning Burley??Syd Hynes was signed for Leeds from NALGO I believe??

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 9:31 pm

iansmithofotley wrote: Hi Parksider,I also played for Bramley (Old Boys) RUFC from 1968 until 1971. As far as I know the high/grammar school connections wereRoundhay - RoundhegiansLeeds grammar - Old leodiensiansLawnswood - Old moderniansHorsforth - YarnburyBut I don't know which school fed into Bramley old boys.Were they the same as Bramley RUFC at The Worrals?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 9:34 pm

geoffb wrote: I played with many police and firemen at Moortown, two firemen brothers I played were both out injured with broken bones, they were then known as the Brittle Brothers. Happy Days:-) Was that what Moortown was? A local emergency services RU club?

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 9:41 pm

Chiron wrote: I wrote the story of what happened to the club in my book Leeds Who? (copies available at Philip Howard Books on Street Lane.) The club was formed in 1923 and the name disappeared in 1988 when it merged with Kitson College to form a club called Oakwood.Leeds Corinthians, mentioned in an earlier post, were great rivals. the club was originally called Leeds Salem changing its name to Leeds Corinthians in 1956. I'll drop in at that book shop. I can't remember an Oakwood RUFC but I assume given declining playing numbers it sucuumbed pretty quickly?Having ones own ground and a clubhouse on it seems to have been the bedrock of local RU clubs. Many seemed to have come about in the 1920's post WW1.The only RU club I know traceable back before the 1920's seems to be Headingley.I wonder how all these grounds and clubhouses were obtained and why didn't soccer or RL clubs do the same? Was it the grammar schools funding these facilities?Where did you change for Chirons - more to the point where did you retire to after games!!!

Chiron · Post by **Chiron** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 10:16 pm

Chirons had changing rooms at the back of Roundhay School. They were part of the old stables.(picture in my book) We had a small tearoom in the same block where the players ate after matches. When I first played for Chirons we used to go to a pub that was called The Gipton, just down from Oakwood Clock. I am not sure what it is called now. We then used the White House, Whitkirk Cricket Club and a small members club called the V&T Social Club close to Roundhay Park. The lack of a ground and clubhouse was, in my opinion, what caused the club's demise. Oakwood only lasted about two seasons mainly because they were not in the Leagues and had poor facilities. When I played for Chirons we were one of the strongest junior clubs in Leeds. In the early 1970s they were even more successful. The decline began in the mid 1970s.There are quite a few Chirons articles and some pictures on my websitewww.dropkickbooks.co.uk

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Thu 22 Dec, 2011 10:39 pm

The Parksider wrote: majorhoundii wrote: I played for Morley most of the third and fourth teams' fixtures were in North Leeds, Moortown, Alwoodley, Old Leos (on Moortown's ground IIRC) Roundhay, Rounhegians (on Soldiers Fields) Yarnbury, Lawnswood YMCA, Headingley, Kirkstall are some names that come to mind. Leeds NALGO were another team but they were based behind a pub near Rothwell. Morley are down to two teams now I think? Participation in local rugby and soccer has gone downhill over the last 20 years.Some names there! I don't recognise "Alwoodley" are you thinking of Leo's there? Kirkstall?? Are you meaning Burley??Syd Hynes was signed for Leeds from NALGO I believe?? No we definitely played against Alwoodley, Moortown and Old Leos, I may be wrong, but when we played Moortown seconds, it turned out to be Leeds Grammar 1st XV, who'd played that morning.Morley ran 1st, A, Extra A, & B XV's in those days plus a Colts (u eighteen) side.My first season I played mainly in the B team - what was left when the other sides had been filled - we hardly ever played 15 a side - sometimes we'd add up how many players there were between the two opposing sides and divide it by two. We played 9, 10, 11 a side. In March of that season, my great talent was finally recognised and I was promoted to the Extra A side until the end of the season. I was training twice a week and playing on Saturdays - I've never been so fit - but training and playing didn't leave much time for "courtin'" So the following season I stopped training and carried on playing - back to the B team

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 10:39 am

Chiron wrote: Chirons had changing rooms at the back of Roundhay School. They were part of the old stables.(picture in my book) We had a small tearoom in the same block where the players ate after matches. At that time what was your clubs relationship to Roundhegians. You were just about on their doorstep? Were they all pretty much ex-roundhay school, and you lot not?? and did you get school facilities due to them having their own clubhouse (an assumption) up street lane??

The Parksider · Post by **The Parksider** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 10:42 am

majorhoundii wrote: We definitely played against Alwoodley Thanks for the memories, great fun. I like the B team modus operandii of splitting the available players of both clubs evenly!!So Alwoodley did exist? How about you Chiron - did you play Alwoodley? Have we any ideas where the club were based/played?

geoffb · Post by **geoffb** » Fri 23 Dec, 2011 10:51 am

majorhoundii wrote: The Parksider wrote: majorhoundii wrote: I played for Morley most of the third and fourth teams' fixtures were in North Leeds, Moortown, Alwoodley, Old Leos (on Moortown's ground IIRC) Roundhay, Rounhegians (on Soldiers Fields) Yarnbury, Lawnswood YMCA, Headingley, Kirkstall are some names that come to mind. Leeds NALGO were another team but they were based behind a pub near Rothwell. Morley are down to two teams now I think? Participation in local rugby and soccer has gone downhill over the last 20 years.Some names there! I don't recognise "Alwoodley" are you thinking of Leo's there? Kirkstall?? Are you meaning Burley??Syd Hynes was signed for Leeds from NALGO I believe?? No we definitely played against Alwoodley, Moortown and Old Leos, I may be wrong, but when we played Moortown seconds, it turned out to be Leeds Grammar 1st XV, who'd played that morning.Morley ran 1st, A, Extra A, & B XV's in those days plus a Colts (u eighteen) side.My first season I played mainly in the B team - what was left when the other sides had been filled - we hardly ever played 15 a side - sometimes we'd add up how many players there were between the two opposing sides and divide it by two. We played 9, 10, 11 a side. In March of that season, my great talent was finally recognised and I was promoted to the Extra A side until the end of the season. I was training twice a week and playing on Saturdays - I've never been so fit - but training and playing didn't leave much time for "courtin'" So the following season I stopped training and carried on playing - back to the B team Where did Alwoodley play. Moortowns ground was and still is at Far Moss, Leos was and still is on Crag Lane with old Mods on Otley Old Road.(edit) and dont forget West Park Bramhope a top cub in the 70s/80s.