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.

• 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