Hunslet v Leeds (1901)

This film is part of the Mitchell and Kenyon collection - an amazing visual record of everyday life in Britain at the beginning of the twentieth century. For more information about the films of Mitchell and Kenyon see http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/mk/

The music is by Stephen Horne, and was created for the 'Edwardian Sports' DVD release. To buy the DVD click here - http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/info_5619.html

You can watch over 2000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• BFI National Archive
• Victorian
• Edwardian
• lifestyle
• sport
• rugby
• stephen horne
• mitchell and kenyon
• Edwardian Sports

[DADRENO]

I like the voiceover - it's Adrian Chiles.

[admiralhanson]

Indeed it is what became Rugby League ... Remember this was filmed around 6 years after 'the great split' and in the early years, both versions of the game played to the same rules.

Naturally, Rugby League rule changes have progressed at a far faster rate over the last 100 years since the film was shot, in order to make the game more attractive to watch, whereas Union has retained a lot of the elements seen.

So, it both is and isn't Rugby Union !

[Greasechain]

i live in hunslet its in ls10 leeds :)

[OhYeahOhYeahBaby]

The early days of Rugby League.

[poswoll]

No scrum caps, no tape. These are real men.

[snbboesen]

goin' to have a dig 'round in the family archives to see if I can add anything to this. My grandfather, William Stuart, was a young man in Hunslet at this time and it seems to me that he had a sister-in-law who was a great supporter of the local team.

[snbboesen]

goin' to have a dig around in my family archives to see if I can add anything to this...my grandfather was a young man in Hunslet at the time and I recall he had a sister-in-law who was a big supporter of the local team.

[JemMackie]

@admiralhanson Bullshit. Northern union only played union rules for two seasons then changed the rules removing lineouts from the game then changing other rules to make the game faster. Unon can't be union without lineouts so this is definately not union.

[Fredericrugby]

Awesome piece of rugby memorabilia !

[eternalwanker]

Is this rugby league? Like before it was in Australia?

They have scrums after every tackle, not rucks, this is definitely not union. It must be from the scrums that they got the play the ball.