Mid-Rhondda RLFC

Although South Wales was best known for its rugby union teams, events in Aberdare and the Rhondda between 1905 and 1907 had revealed several clubs were breaking amateur rules and were paying their players.

On 1 January 1908, Aberdare hosted a Wales versus New Zealand encounter in the world's first full international rugby league game.

[2] Then, on 20 April, Tonypandy was chosen as the location for the very first rugby league encounter between Wales and England,[3] with the match played at the local Athletic Ground.

This was followed by a string of defeats to Treherbert, Ebbw Vale and Merthyr, before the club faced international opposition, the first touring Australian team.

[6] Mid-Rhondda finished the season with a record of 18 games played in the Northern League, five won, one drawn and twelve loses, leaving them 24th out of 31 clubs.

[6] At the end of the season the club officials stated that they had not been happy with the low attendances and financial rewards offered by the Northern Union game.

After the match, the Mid-Rhondda chairman stated that the financial position under the Northern Union had not realised expectations, and that as far as club could see, soccer was the coming game.