During this period, five England Trial matches were held in the two towns with the North (of England) playing the South (of England) on the Friarage Field on 3 occasions, and Durham County playing the Rest of England twice. Once on the Friarage and the other occasion on Victoria Ground.

Players taking part in the North v South games, were awarded a “cap” for their appearances, though superceded by the more familiar Probable’s v Possibles, Colours v Whites or England v Rest, etc.,  the North v South games were briefly revived in the Thirties.

A number of images have survived in the Robert Wood Collection from two of the North v South games held on the Friarage Field,in addition, there is also an item from the 1897 North v South Trial which records a little known piece of local Rugby History.

West Hartlepool Buffs XV - Winners of the 'Bensley Charity' Cup 1907.

The game took place on Wednesday 17^th April 1907 at the Victoria Ground, resulting in the first win for “West Hartlepool R A O B” against “Hartlepool R A O B “in the annual match between the two sides. They had earlier met at the Friarage Field on Easter Monday, at the end of March. The Mail Report stated that the teams were in strict training and if climatic conditions allowed a good gate was expected, tickets still available!

The Bensley Charity Cup was contested annually between “Hartlepool” and “West Hartlepool” former player members of the R A O B in aid of the Hartlepool Widows and Orphans Fund of the Buffaloes.  The donor of the Cup may be John Bensley, prominent in the Buffs, who was Landlord of “The Globe” Northgate and his family had connections with the Pub Trade throughout the two towns. James Bensley was also landlord of the “Fleece Inn” in Hope Street, West Hartlepool between 1880 and 91.

The “Fleece Inn” also has a Rugby connection in that it was the HQ of West Hartlepool Vulcans that won the Durham County Junior Cup in 1897 defeating Stargate (A colliery side from Ryton) at Boldon. The “Mail” reports of the match state that the Vulcans team was met at West Hartlepool Station and led in procession with the Cup along Church Street to Lynn Street thence Charles Street before reaching their headquarters at the “Fleece Inn” in Hope Street.

The centre spread of the programme for a forgotten Representative game held during the Great War played on the Victoria Ground in Clarence Road on the 25th April, 1916. The organisers of the North XV were Bob Oakes from Rovers and Rev Bertram Jones from West and being wartime, the North side was drawn from both Rugby Union and Northern Union (now called the Rugby League) codes. A crowd of 6000 turned out for the game which the North won by 22 pts to 6. A smoker was held at St George afterwards and as an additional draw it was hoped that Leiut. O'Leary V.C. would be in attendance. 

Also in the North XV was Harold Wagstaff, one of the NRU's all time great players along with his Huddersfield team-mate Ben Grunow, their club then being the top League side in this country.

 Several of the players  including Bertram Jones, are marked with an asterisk next to their names, they had earlier in the month played for the North against the Anzacs XV at Leeds, the Anzac XV comprising those who had fought in the Gallipoli campaign of 1915.  

A Hartlepool XV team for a fixture against a Military XV, played at the Friarage Field, on March 2nd, 1918.
In the background is the temporary lighthouse this was built following the demolition of the Heugh Lighthouse following the Bombardment.  The temporary Light was eventually demolished in 1926.

Only 6d (including tax) for admittance, 3d for Soldiers and Boys.

Only a brief line on the result of the game has been found so far, at the break the District XV were ahead 3 - 0! Later in he month the Military XV played YMCA with the Mail advert advertising the game and describing both sides as "hot stuff"!

This poster is from 1939 and advertises the film lecture tour visit to Sacred Heart School Hall by Viv Jenkins, Vice Captain of the 1938 Lions who holds several remarkable playing records. Whilst playing at Full back for Wales in the early 30s he scored the first ever Welsh try from that position, later with the 1938 Lions he appeared in only one Test owing to injury, he marked his sole Test appearance by kicking a penalty from 80 yards out!

A Classics Master, he later took up journalism and was for many years Chief Rugby Writer with the “Times”.

Another intriguing image, marked as Rovers 1950, but no indication of the opposition, nor the occasion, in addition the Dressing Room/Clubhouse behind the players has yet to be identified?

The only players traced to date are Ian Coulson (Rovers) second from the right in the back row, in the middle row Stan Kaiser (Rovers) is seated extreme left and, in the middle, holding the ball (and probably the captain?) is Jim Collard from West and to his right is Danny Noddings, also West.  The strip the players are wearing could be an “Old Dunelmians” rig.

Any information would be appreciated, it could possibly be a Henry Smith Former Pupils or Old Boys side. At this time it was popular for individuals to raise a XV under their own name, it is possiblty this could also be an ad hoc side for a special occasion.

A programme from the 1969 England Trial held at the New Friarage in January of 1969

The Hartlepools have always produced young players who have made to the National XV at every Age Grade level.  April, 6^th 1974 at St. Helen’s Swansea, saw Paul Stacey and John Chappell from West in the England Squad against Wales Youth. A narrow Welsh victory ensued late by 12 – 13. 

The successful 1981 Colts had another outstanding aspect to the campaign when five members of the team were included in the North of England Squad, which could be a record for members of the Regional Squad.

Two of the five went even further, Richard Neesham and Kevin McClelland played for England Colts.

The squad for the Colts tour (players under 19 on the 1^st January of the current season and employed) which saw them play across Canada in August and September of 1985.  There was a local interest with Jonathon Wrigley (Hartlepool Rovers) in the squad along with Alan Bell from Horden as Physio. Other area players are Ian Parnaby and Fred Short then from Westoe who both played for West Hartlepool later in their careers. Also, in the back row is Yorkshireman John Bentley who made it all the way to the top of the game with England and the Lions and well as the Rugby League.

The games took the players right across the country with games in Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and two games in Vancouver, the Final being against Canada Juniors.

A major change to Rugby in the 1980s was the move to playing major touring sides on a much-shortened series of game and in large Soccer stadia. Old Trafford and Anfield were among the first to be used. These North Division matches replaced the system of County, Inter County or Regional sides playing the likes of the All Blacks, Springboks and Wallabies. The divisional matches themselves were replaced with the sweeping changes following the “open” game in 1995.

We in Hartlepool had the chance to see a North game hereabouts when the North played the American Eagles on Brierton Lane in 1898,

Any game between England and the Welsh is always an attraction and Hartlepool rugby fans had the rare chance to see two such games a little over 72 hours apart when England Schools 18 Group played on the New Friarage on 31^st March, followed on the following Tuesday with a game between the Student XVs of both nations on Brierton Lane..

In 1905 a combined Hartlepool Rovers & West Hartlepool played the New Zealand touring side, The First All Blacks,  and to celebrate the Centenary of the event a BBOB and District XV played a Durham County Presidents XV in November 2005.