FEATURED BOOKS

The Other Rugby

Rugby League Clubs

The Other Rugby tells the story of thirty five years of amateur rugby league in Rotherham.

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Changing Times

Rugby Union

This book looks at the key elements that impact grassroots rugby union clubs in the county. It paints the background against which the game and the leagues have changed and considers the factors that are linked to those changes. The authors have gathered information about many grassroots clubs to illustrate their findings.

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FEATURED BLOG POSTS

Thomas Steele VC

Rugby League Characters

The 1919/20 Challenge Cup competition saw the first and only appearance in the first round proper of Healey Street Adults. This Oldham based club were drawn against Wigan, at Central Park, a very difficult proposition for any junior outfit particularly as Wigan took the tie very seriously and fielded a nearly full strength team. Healey Street also had a strong team on duty including Thomas Steele who, as a Sergeant in the 1st Battalion Seaforth Highlanders, had received the Victoria Cross in 1917 for conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty.

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Rugby in Spen Valley

Northern Union

The version of football that we know today as rugby first became established in the Spen Valley in the early 1870s when the Heckmondwike club was formed. Cleckheaton Football Club followed in 1875, with Liversedge beginning activities in 1877.

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Stuart Sheard - Drop Kick Books

Stuart Sheard, author of books on the history and heritage of rugby league and rugby union.

About Stuart Sheard

I have been involved in rugby all my life. My interest began when, as a small child, I went with my father to watch Bradford Northern rugby league club in the 1950s.

My rugby union playing career began at 17 when I joined Leeds Chirons. I also played for Doncaster College of Education, Barnsley and Dinnington.

In 1968 I began playing amateur rugby league for a Leeds Sunday League club called General Accident and I then played for Bentley and Rotherham Rangers.

My involvement in rugby league administration began in 1976 and over the years I have been an amateur club secretary, district and regional league secretary, a British Amateur Rugby League Association Board of Management member, International Selector and Vice Chairman of the British Amateur Rugby League Association.

My lifetime association with rugby took another turn in the 1984/85 season when I became involved with professional rugby league as a Director of Sheffield Eagles. Taking a career change from teaching, latterly as a Primary School Head teacher in South Yorkshire, I began working full-time in rugby league in 2000 when I joined Huddersfield Giants. I have also worked for Crusaders and Featherstone Rovers. 

In January 2011 I left my post as Chief Executive at Featherstone and returned to the Community game. In May 2011 was invited to chair the newly formed Yorkshire Men's League I remained as chair until 2019. In 2016 I was elected to the Rugby League Community Board as the representative of Tiers Five and Six of the Community game. Following my resignation from the Community Board in 2019 I was added to the Rugby Football League's Roll of Honour.


I write about the history of both rugby codes, with a particular focus on clubs and events in Yorkshire.

My articles have appeared in Rugby League Journal, League Express, Forty - 20 Magazine, the National Conference League Annual and the Rugby Memorabilia Society’s Touchlines Magazine.

I have written seven books:

  • Leeds Who? - The Story of a Forgotten Rugby Union Club.

Download a copy of my free PDF with fixtures, results and additional Leeds Chirons match reports.

The Story of a Forgotten Rugby Union Club.

  • Let Them Play By All Means –The Story of Yorkshire Rugby Union in World War Two.
  • Making Up The Numbers – The clubs that hoped to be Giant Killers.
  • 'The Other Rugby' - The story of rugby league in Rotherham.
  • 50 Years of Yorkshire Rugby Union 1930-1980 
  • Changing Times - Grassroots rugby union in Yorkshire 1987-2022. I wrote this book in collaboration with Duncan Gawthorpe, a former team mate at Barnsley rugby union club.
  • Rugby in Barnsley 1874 -2024


Contact Me Link
Contact Me Link