Leeds nostalgia: Letter of the Week - '˜I remember the post war rugby in Leeds'

Bradford Northern vs Leeds 1947
( Picture scanned from Rugby League Challenge Cup Book by Les Hoole) — Bradford Northern vs Leeds 1947 ( Picture scanned from Rugby League Challenge Cup Book by Les Hoole)

I saw your letter of the week from Stephen Boothroyd regarding school rugby league after the last war.

I played for Kirkstall road School during the war and was invited to training sessions for the 1st City Boys Game after the war.

The sessions were at Burley National School under Mr Ken Dalley.

Owing to all the bad weather, there wasn’t much rugby played that year. I wasn’t chosen for the game against Hunslet School but they asked us to bring a clothing coupon each so they could buy a set of jerseys.

They bought a set of cherry and whites, like Wigan played in those days.

The game was played as a curtain raiser at Headingley.

The week before that we were all at Headingley to sweep out a room under the stand to use as a changing room.

At the game, we took a bucket collection for the Leeds Schools Rugby League.

I left school at East 1947, aged 14. The captain was Jack Lendill.

Happy days.

Mr James Saunders, Station Road, Horsforth, Leeds

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