Leeds Parish Church Team 1901
Photo from Rugby League Historians Facebook Group.
Brief History
In 1874 Leeds Parish Church formed a recreation club which played cricket in summer and rugby in winter on its ground at Clarence Field. The parish magazine of 1879 congratulated the players upon the increased skill displayed by them in the rugby game. They had just beaten the town team in Keighley. At this time they were playing such local teams as St Andrew's, Hunslet Albion, Hunslet Excelsior and Leeds Imperial Rovers.
The club disbanded when the lease on its Clarence Road ground expired they Played their last match on Wednesday 24th April 1901 scoring 3 goals and 5 tries against York, winning 21 - 2. The Church team that day was :- Corcoran, Smith, Herberts, Bowen, Fairbairn, Brayshaw, Knight, Agar, Birch, Crumpton, Hewlett, McNicholas, Gardner, Wade, Walker & Wainwright. A number of these players subsequently moved to Headingley.