Happy Birthday Rugby League

[Smylee]

On this day (29th August) in 1895 at the George Hotel in Huddersfield - England, the Northern Rugby Football Union was formed - later to become what we now know as The Greatest Game of All !

From Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_league

In 1895 rugby football was later beset with a schism that resulted in the formation of the rebel Northern Rugby Football Union (NRFU). Although many factors played a part in the split, including the success of working class northern teams to the irritation of the gentry who ran the game, the main division was caused by the RFU decision to enforce the amateur principle of the sport, preventing 'broken time payments' to players who had taken time off work to play rugby. Northern teams typically had more working class players who could not afford to play without this compensation, in contrast to southern teams who drew their players from the middle and upper classes who did not depend on such payments and could afford to play as amateurs. There were similar movements in other countries. In 1895 a decree by the RFU banning the playing of rugby on pitches where entrance fees were charged led to the famous meeting on 29 August 1895. Twenty-one clubs (plus Stockport who negotiated by telephone) met at The George Hotel in Huddersfield and formed the Northern Rugby Union (later to become known as rugby league). Within fifteen years more than 200 RFU clubs had left to join the rugby league revolution.

I can highly recommend to anyone heading over to the UK that you take the time to visit The George Hotel - there's a small museum, and a Rugby League bar ! The people are very friendly also.