As the game’s popularity increased and travel became easier due to the expansion of the railway network, Neath from South Wales embarked on Northern Tours.

In 1888-89 over the Christmas period they played games against Leeds Parish Church, Bramley, Radcliffe, Brighouse Rangers and Huddersfield, all within the space of six days.

[3] In the early years of the sport, the Church elders and officials saw the development of its rugby football team as an attempt to stem the tide of drinking and depravity which they saw all around them in the city.

The irony of their ‘muscular Christianity’ mission was that large numbers of its rugby team’s supporters were the newly arrived Jews who had been confined to the poorest areas like around the Leylands, near the city centre.

[5] In 1896, at a special meeting, Leeds Parish Church RFC,[4] that season’s Yorkshire RFU champions, had only five votes against their switch of allegiance to the Northern Union.

It was closed down because of its rough play, attacking referees, a violent crowd (echoes of worldwide Association Football in the late 20th century) – but also, it has been suggested - because it attracted the Jewish working-class community.

The following are just a few of Leeds Parish Church RFC fixtures during the three seasons (and other times) in which they played semi-professional rugby league:[12][13][14][15][16] John Wilkinson Birch