Although rugby's great split of 1895 is often portrayed as a professional breakaway, it also led to the vast majority of amateur rugby clubs in the north of England leaving the RFU and joining the Northern Union. This week's episode takes a look at the early history of rugby league below the professional level, examining its rise, fall, and rise again as it battled with the effects of war and the impact of the Great Depression of the 1930s.
For more on the history of amateur league, there are two chapters in Rugby League: A People’s History and numerous books published on the history of amateur clubs across the north of England. Check out my Twitter feed for mentions of some of them.
Rastrick amateur rugby club in 1926, the year fo the General Strike.