Before Leagues

2026-05-29T10:02:10+01:00

In the days before Merit Tables and Leagues which clubs you played against and the distance travelled for an away fixture wasn't an issue.

All clubs, regardless of their status, were able to choose who they played, how far they wished to travel for any away fixture and how many long trips they were happy to make in a season.

Headingley, for much of the Twentieth Century was the leading club in Yorkshire. The strength of its 1st XV meant that Headingley would look for challenges outside the county with fixtures against most of the leading English clubs important for maintaining Headingley’s status.

As you can see from the fixture list for Headingley’s 1969/70 season there were many long trips interspersed with games against Yorkshire clubs. The Headingley fixture secretary obviously believed that its Yorkshire opponents would be competitive on the pitch and, because the fixtures were against local rivals, there may possibly be a larger than usual attendance at Clarence Field. However, for clubs like Headingley a good game against strong opponents was often more important than the number of spectators at the game. The support of members and the local business community was, in an amateur era, what helped a club like Headingley attract good players and maintain its impressive fixture list.

Headingley 1st XV 1969

For clubs further down the pecking order the need to travel outside Yorkshire in order to find competitive opponents usually wasn’t necessary. As you can see from Pontefract’s 1969/70 fixture list the majority of its opponents were other Yorkshire clubs with just a few games against clubs in Lancashire, the Midlands and the North East.

However, these annual fixtures against clubs from outside the county were often important and highlights of the season. An enjoyable game against opponents you knew well would usually be followed by a good evening in the clubhouse.

Merit Tables followed by the introduction of Leagues and then professionalism have certainly changed club rugby union. Is the sport in a better place? I suppose it depends on what you see as progress. Participation is down, a number of clubs have folded, while others are struggling. In fifty years’ time, if rugby union is still played by clubs in their local communities, will people look back at the introduction of Leagues and professionalism as having had a positive impact on the sport?

To read more about Yorkshire rugby union since the introduction of Leagues check out: Changing Times Click here for further details