Durham has just 14 players and are under the Captaincy of Darlington man, Tom Watson, with ball. This season Yorkshire turned up with 14 so Durham played with only 14 players throughout but everyone got a game. In the return match in Leeds, Durham had 20 players available so Yorkshire agreed to a 20 a side match, their only known 20 a side match.
No Hartlepool players are beleived to be in this side, but it gives a glimpse of the players kit in those days, a County strip was some time off, but some had acquired a St Cuthbert’s Pectoral cross to stitch onto their jersey, this still features in the badges of the County XVs of today. If the date is correct, 1874 was a good year, the County beat Yorkshire home and away in our only County games that season.
Date (of image) : 12/12/1874
Donor : Darlington RFC
Creator : Unknown
Part of the "Tom Watson" collection
Location
Although dating officially from 1876, the Durham County Rugby Union, like many of its Clubs, has a pre-history stretching back to at least 1873. That year a group of enthusiasts in the County received an invite from Yorkshire RFU (formed in 1870) suggesting “you give us contest at Rugby” After a champagne luncheon the invite was accepted, and Durham played Yorkshire in Leeds.
This gallery has a selection of images concerning the clashes between Durham County & the Counties in the Northern Championship, leading to 1892 which year can be seen as the Zenith for Rugby Union popularity in the North. The years following this period brought on the spilt with the Rugby League and the rise in popularity for Association Football.
The Yorkshire, Lancs and Cheshire Unions were then at the peak of their powers but 1892 was a fateful year for their clubs, and were on the cusp of a disastrous split with the R.F.U. over broken time payments.
It is easy to look back at the past with a rosy hue, these images show that even in the great eras, travel chaos, disappointing results, new law changes and violence (on and off the field) were not uncommon.
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