Rugby League Heritage Centre
Encyclopedia
The Rugby League Heritage Centre is located in the basement of the George Hotel
, Huddersfield
, West Yorkshire
, England
. It is the UK’s only rugby league heritage museum and was the brainchild of BSkyB sports presenter and former Great Britain
international Mike Stephenson
.
It was in the George Hotel, Huddersfield on August 29, 1895 that 21 northern clubs held a meeting and by a majority of 20 to 1 voted to secede
from the Rugby Football Union
to set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union
. In 1922 this became the Rugby Football League
.
The Rugby League Heritage centre was opened on 30 August 2005 by former players Billy Boston
, Neil Fox
and Mick Sullivan
.
The Rugby League Heritage Centre is open from February to October, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It has displays of memorabilia, including rare shirts, medals, caps, programmes and photographs. There is also footage played on several plasma screens. The British Rugby League Hall of Fame
is now located in the Heritage Centre.
George Hotel, Huddersfield
The George Hotel, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England, situated in the centre of the city, is a Grade II listed building famous as the birthplace of rugby league football....
, Huddersfield
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a large market town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated halfway between Leeds and Manchester. It lies north of London, and south of Bradford, the nearest city....
, West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is the UK’s only rugby league heritage museum and was the brainchild of BSkyB sports presenter and former Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
international Mike Stephenson
Mike Stephenson
Michael "Mike" Stephenson, also commonly known as Stevo, is an English Rugby League World Cup winning Rugby League, and presenter/commentator on British satellite television channel Sky Sports who also represented Great Britain in the sport.Stevo, the nickname that he is commonly known as on TV...
.
It was in the George Hotel, Huddersfield on August 29, 1895 that 21 northern clubs held a meeting and by a majority of 20 to 1 voted to secede
History of rugby league
The history of rugby league as a separate form of rugby football goes back to 1895 in Huddersfield, Northern England when the Northern Rugby Football Union broke away from the established Rugby Football Union to administer its own separate competition. Similar schisms occurred later in Australia...
from the Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
to set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
. In 1922 this became the Rugby Football League
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
.
The Rugby League Heritage centre was opened on 30 August 2005 by former players Billy Boston
Billy Boston
William John "Billy" Boston MBE is a former Wales and Great Britain professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer. Boston is a member of the Rugby League Hall of Fame, Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and was, along with Shaun Edwards the first to be voted into the Wigan Hall Of Fame...
, Neil Fox
Neil Fox (rugby league)
Neil Fox MBE is an English former rugby league footballer and player-coach of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. A goal-kicking , he is one of the most prominent figures in the history of the sport because he holds the all-time points record, scoring 6,220 points during his career...
and Mick Sullivan
Mick Sullivan
Michael "Mick" Sullivan is an English former professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1950s and 60s. He holds the record for the most appearances for the Great Britain Lions with 46.Sullivan signed with Huddersfield in 1952 as an 18 year-old right winger...
.
The Rugby League Heritage Centre is open from February to October, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It has displays of memorabilia, including rare shirts, medals, caps, programmes and photographs. There is also footage played on several plasma screens. The British Rugby League Hall of Fame
British Rugby League Hall of Fame
The British Rugby League Hall of Fame was established by the Rugby Football League in 1988 to commemorate the greatest ever players in British rugby league...
is now located in the Heritage Centre.