Warrington v. St. Helens

Overview

Lancashire's St Helens, in hooped shirts, visited Cheshire rivals Warrington for this early Edwardian game. As in other Mitchell and Kenyon rugby films, we can see here an early phase of the evolution of Northern Union rules: note the quickly-formed scrum after each tackle. Shots along the touchline show officials and spectators transfixed by the play, while others are distracted by the camera. The Northern Rugby Football Union, better known as Northern Union, was formed in 1895, when prominent Yorkshire and Lancashire clubs resigned from the Rugby Football Union in a dispute over compensation for players taking time off work. All the major differences between the two codes would be established by 1907.