Liversedge RFC (founded 1877) were a semi-professionalrugby league club fromLiversedge,Yorkshire,England. They were a founder member of theNorthern Rugby Football Union, precursor to the Rugby Football League.

Liversedge was founded in 1877.^{[citation needed]}

After the 1890-91 season, Liversedge along with other Yorkshire Senior clubs Batley, Bradford, Brighouse, Dewsbury, Halifax, Huddersfield, Hull, Hunslet, Leeds, Manningham and Wakefield decided that they wanted their own county league starting in 1891 along the lines of a similar competition that had been played in Lancashire. The clubs wanted full control of the league but the Yorkshire Rugby Football Union would not sanction the competition as it meant giving up control of rugby football to the senior clubs. The club played in the Yorkshire Senior competition in the early 1890s.

Prior to the greatschism in rugby,^[1] Liversedge, like many other clubs from Yorkshire (and Lancashire), had suffered punishment by theRugby Football Union for"broken time" payments. As a result, Liversedge, represented by a Mr. J. H. Hampshire, attended a meeting at theGeorge Hotel, Huddersfield, together with the representatives of 21 other clubs, and agreed to form aNorthern Rugby Football Union.

Liversedge thereby became one of the founder members of the new league. In the first season,1895–96, the league consisted of 22 clubs and Liversedge finished in 15th position. In season1896–97, the league was divided into Yorkshire and Lancashire, Liversedge playing in the former section, where they would stay for the remainder of their semi-professional existence. They did slightly better, finishing in 11th position out of 16 teams. In the following four seasons (1897–98,1898–99,1899–1900,1900–01), still in the Yorkshire section, they finished bottom in every season except 1898–99, when they managed to finish second bottom, in each case out of the 16 clubs.

In their final season,1901–02 they yet again won thewooden spoon, finishing 14th out of 14 teams with only six points. They dropped out of the league after the end of the1901–02 season..

Although Liversedge RFC were founder members of the Rugby League, the town does not have the rugby league heritage of other towns in the area. Following the demise of the original club, anassociation football club,Liversedge F.C., was founded in its stead in 1910, one of a number of instances of code switching around that time.^[2]

Today the town is represented by Liversedge ARLFC who play at Primrose Lane (off Bradford Road) in the Third Division of the Pennine Amateur Rugby League.^[3]

Harry Varley (25 November 1867 – 21 November 1915) playedrugby union forEngland v Scotland in 1892 while with Liversedge. He went on to play under the new code for Liversedge andOldham.

Robert "Bob" Wood (born 1873) played rugby union forEngland v Ireland in 1894 and at club level for Liversedge.

The club's colours were blue and white.^[4]

The club played at Littletown.^[5]

Liversedge did not win any trophies, although reached the final of the Yorkshire Challenge Cup in 1888–89 during their rugby union days. They lost 18–16 to Otley (1 goal, 1 try, 4 minors to 1 goal, 0 tries, 4 minors).

^A League points: for win = 2; for draw = 1; for loss = 0

^B Only limited County League information is available for this season

The following are a selection of Liversedge's fixtures from the seven seasons in which they played semi-professional Rugby League:

^AFolly Fields was the stadium used byWigan at the time until 1901. They then became sub-tenants ofSpringfield Park See below – Note 3.

^BLowerhouse Lane is the original site of the current ground used byWidnes. It was renamed Naughton Park in 1932 in honour of club secretary, Tom Naughton – and later renamed Halton Stadium after being completely rebuilt in 1997.

^CWigan became sub-tenants ofSpringfield Park, which they shared withWigan United AFC, playing their first game there on 14 September 1901 at which a crowd of 4,000 saw them beatMorecambe 12–0, and the last game on 28 April 1902 whenWigan beat the Rest of Lancashire Senior Competition. A temporary ground was necessary to span the period between moving fromFolly Fields and the new ground atCentral Park being constructed.

^D CC Rx: Challenge Cup Round x; YC Rx: Yorkshire Cup Round x; YSC: Yorkshire Senior Competition

^E Only limited County League information is available for season (1901–02)

• British rugby league system
• The Great Schism – Rugby League View
• The Great Schism – Rugby Union View
• Rugby league county leagues
• List of defunct rugby league clubs
• Liversedge sporting history

• Rugby league teams in West Yorkshire
• Defunct rugby league teams in England
• Sport in Kirklees
• Rugby clubs established in 1877
• Rugby clubs disestablished in 1902
• Founder members of the Northern Rugby Football Union
• Rugby league teams in England
• 1877 establishments in England

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