It is based on the rugby union match between the representative sides of Yorkshire and Lancashire played at Fallowfield, Manchester on 24 November 1894.

clubhouse until the 1960s when it was moved to its current location in the West stand at Twickenham Stadium.

[6] Other suggestions are that the painter forgot to include the referee in the original and simply chose to replace one of the players with the referee figure or that the players were expected to make a financial donation to appear in the picture and the one who didn't pay up was removed from the final portrait.

[4][7] Until 2020 historians, including rugby specialist Tony Collins considered that the picture featured the rugby union match between the representative sides of Yorkshire and Lancashire played at Park Avenue, Bradford on 25 November 1893 but noted that at least 11 of the players in the picture have been identified as taking part in the 1893 match but others who have been identified didn't, most notably Alf Barraclough, the player making the pass, and Thomas Dobson, the rightmost player in the picture.

[7] With the greater availability of contemporary newspapers for study Collins is now of the opinion that the painting is based on the game between the two counties at Fallowfield stadium, Manchester on 24 November 1894.