He was the landlord of the Craven Heifer Hotel public house (now a residential building), Victoria Road (now renamed), Springfield, Dewsbury, he opened a boys' sports club in the upper-room of the Craven Heifer Hotel, funded by a mile of pennies that were donated in Springfield area of Dewsbury, and he died aged 81.
[4] Harry Royal had a trial for Wales (RU) while at Bridgend RFC in the second Welsh trial at Swansea during December 1936, and won caps for Wales (RL) while at Dewsbury; he played scrum-half in the 9-12 defeat by France in the 1948–49 European Rugby League Championship match at St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, Swansea on Saturday 23 October 1948, in front of a crowd of 12,032, and played scrum-half in the 5-12 defeat by Australia in the 1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France match at St. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground, Swansea on Saturday 20 November 1948, in front of a crowd of 9,224.
[1] Harry Royal played scrum-half in Dewsbury's 14-25 aggregate defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1943–44 season; Tom Walsh played scrum-half in the 9-13 first-leg defeat at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 13 May 1944, but Royal played scrum-half in the 5-12 second-leg defeat at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury on Saturday 20 May 1944,[5] and played scrum-half in the 4-13 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1946–47 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 21 June 1947.
Therefore, his official début for Batley was the 23-5 victory over Featherstone Rovers at Post Office Road, Featherstone on Saturday 19 November 1949, and he played his last match for Batley in the 3-5 defeat by Oldham during the 1950–51 season at the Watersheddings, Oldham on Saturday 4 November 1950.
Harry Royal was the coach of Batley from November 1949 to November 1950, Batley finished the 1949–50 season in 25th position out of 29-teams, with 10-victories, and 26-defeats, for 20-points, they reached the second-round of the 1949–50 Yorkshire Cup, losing 5-12 to eventual losing semi-finalists Dewsbury at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury on Thursday 29 September 1949, and they reached the second-round of the 1949–50 Challenge Cup, losing 4-12 to eventual losing finalists Widnes at Mount Pleasant, Batley on Thursday 2 March 1950.