St Helens Recreation Rugby League Football Club, often known as St Helens Recs or just the Recs, is a former professional rugby league club from St. Helens, Lancashire, that played in the Rugby Football League during the inter-war years. The club had a great rivalry with St Helens RFC.
The club was founded in 1878 as part of the sports and recreational provision of Pilkington Glass. Initially the side played rugby union but in 1898 voted to abandon rugby for association football. [1] However, on 14 June 1913, to settle the future of the club, it was announced that it was to abandon association football to concentrate on rugby football. After considerable discussion, it was unanimously agreed to join the constitution of the Northern Rugby Football Union (later the Rugby Football League) and were elected to the Lancashire Combination in July 1913. [2] The Recs, still officially known as the St Helens Recs, were based at City Road and played their first game on 6 September 1913.
In 1915 to bolster the ranks of the war time league, St Helens Recreation along with Brighouse Rangers and Featherstone Rovers were promoted from district leagues to join the senior clubs for the duration of the conflict. [3] In June 1919 the Recs were admitted as full member of the Northern Rugby League. [4] During the 1920s, and 1930s, the Recs played at every level of competition, hosting visiting Australian touring sides and gaining honours in the game, including; winning the Lancashire league in the 1926–27 season, winning the 1923 (17-0 victory over Swinton), and 1930 Lancashire Cups (18-3 victory over Wigan), and being runners-up in the 1924 (0-10 defeat by Oldham), 1926 (2-10 defeat by St. Helens), and 1933 Lancashire Cups (0-12 defeat by Oldham). Despite their success on the pitch, they played their last game on 29 April 1939. The game was away at Hull Kingston Rovers, and the Recs lost 25-12. [5]
Broughton Rangers were one of the twenty-one rugby clubs which met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, in 1895 to form the Northern Rugby Football Union. They were originally based in Broughton, Salford, but in 1933 moved to Gorton, Manchester to play at the Belle Vue Stadium, and were renamed Belle Vue Rangers in 1946. The club folded in 1955. In 2005, local businessman Stefan Hopewell attempted to resurrect the club and now owns the intellectual property to Broughton Rangers and Belle Vue Rangers.
Alfred "Alf" Henry Ellaby was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for St. Helens, and Wigan, as a wing. Ellaby retired as the England and St. Helens' all-time top try-scorer. Ellaby was dubbed the "Hat-trick King", with 31 for his home-town club, St. Helens. Ellaby was Liverpool's first rugby league superstar.
Jack Price was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Broughton Rangers and Wigan, as a second-row, or loose forward, i.e. number 11 or 12, or 13, during the era of contested scrums.
Albert "Alec" Edward Fildes was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for St Helens Recs and St Helens as a prop, second-row or loose forward, i.e. number 8 or 10, 11 or 12, or 13, during the era of contested scrums.
James Owen was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for St. Helens Recs, as a wing, or centre, i.e. number 2 or 5 or, 3 or 4.
Bryn Evans was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for Swinton, as a stand-off, or scrum-half, i.e. numbers 6 or 7.
John Evans was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Swinton, as a centre, i.e. number 3 or 4.
Herman Hilton was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England, Lancashire, and at club level for Healey Street ARLFC, and Oldham (captain), as a prop, second-row, or loose forward, i.e. number 8 or 10, or, 11 or 12, 13, during the era of contested scrums. Hilton is an Oldham Hall Of Fame Inductee.
Ernest Knapman was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for England (non-Test), South of England and Devon, and at club level for Torquay RUFC, as a fullback, i.e. number 15, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Oldham, as a fullback, i.e. number 1.
Sidney "Sid" Rix was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Oldham, as a wing, or centre, i.e. number 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4.
Robert Sloman was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s. He played club level rugby union (RU) or Plymouth Albion, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Oldham (captain), as a second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums.
William Cunliffe was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s, 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Pemberton Rovers ARLFC, and Warrington, as a prop, i.e. number 8 or 10, during the era of contested scrums. Cunliffe is a Warrington Wolves Hall of Fame inductee.
Leslie Stuart Fairclough was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s and 1930s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Lancashire, and at club level for St. Helens, as a centre, stand-off, or scrum-half, i.e. number 3 or 4, 6, or 7.
Evan Davies was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Tumble RFC and Llanelli RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Oldham, as a centre, i.e. number 3 or 4.
Daniel "Danny" Hurcombe was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Talywain RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Wigan and Leigh, as a wing, centre, stand-off, or scrum-half, i.e. number 2 or 5, 3 or 4, 6, or 7.
Thomas Howley was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1910s and 1920s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Ebbw Vale RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and Wales, and at club level for Wigan, as a wing, or centre, i.e. number 2 or 5, or, 3 or 4.
Joseph Ferguson was an English professional rugby league footballer who played between 1899 and 1923. He played at representative level for England, Cumberland and Lancashire, and at club level for Oldham, as a fullback, prop, hooker, or second-row.
Hunslet F.C. was a professional rugby league club in Hunslet, West Yorkshire, England, which played in the Rugby Football League from 1895 until being dissolved in 1973. Founded in 1883, before the split between rugby league and rugby union, Hunslet were a strong force in the early years of the Northern Rugby Football Union, winning All Four Cups in 1908. New Hunslet was formed and took Hunslet's place for the 1973-74 season.