In the days when professional rugby league players were part-time, the signing on fee that was paid to a player when he ‘turned professional’ was usually a significant amount of money. Promising young players would often remain at their junior club for as long as possible in the hope that playing well in cup finals and representative games would increase their value to the professional clubs chasing their signature.
The teams listed in this Yorkshire Cup final programme include a number of players who went on to have careers in the professional game. Gary Schofield, Deryck Fox, David Creasser and Roy Powell in particular stand out because, as well as being outstanding professional rugby players, they all represented Great Britain with distinction.
In the early 1980s St John Fisher and Hunslet Parkside dominated the junior rugby league scene in Yorkshire. There was fierce rivalry between the clubs and fixtures between the two were very well supported. Many of the young men who played for these two clubs enhanced their reputation and value through their performance in games like the Yorkshire Cup final.
Hunslet Parkside won the Yorkshire Cup in 1982 by 14 - 0 with tries from Richard Francis, Mark Fox, David Creasser and John Sharp. David Creasser added one goal.
