In many ways, the 14-6 victory of the Northern Union over Australia has come to be a metaphor for the values of courage, solidarity and the ability to face adversity that characterise the game.
The name for the game was coined as a tribute to the courage of the Northern Union players, with it being compared to the battle fought at Rorke’s Drift in the Zulu War in 1879, when British troops held a post in the face of overwhelming odds.
In the game the Northern Union, led by Harold Wagstaff, ended the match with only 10 players and produced an outstanding defensive display to win by 14 points to 6.
[1] Jack Chilcott played as a forward in Huddersfield's 9-5 victory over Warrington in the 1912–13 Challenge Cup Final during the 1912–13 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 26 April 1913, in front of a crowd of 22,754.
Jack Chilcott married Eva Taylor on Thursday 16 April 1914,[2] the marriage was registered during second ¼ 1914 in Huddersfield district.