To culminate the series of 150 year celebrations, Leeds Rugby Foundation are proud to announce they will be holding a unique 80 minutes at Leeds Minster on Saturday 29th November from 11.30am which will encompass and involve all facets of the game.
On the 20th March 1864, at 6.30am – following an advert placed in the 'Leeds Mercury' by railway clerk Henry Jenkinson – 'hundreds' of people turned up on the Moor to begin an association with the sport that has been at the heart of Leeds ever since.
Indeed, the greatest sporting event in the city remains the 1938 Rugby League Championship final when Hunslet beat Leeds in front of over 54,000 fans at Elland Road.
With that in mind, LRF are spending the year of 2014 celebrating the 150th year anniversary of such a historic event in the city.
Throughout 2014, LRF have held a number of celebration’s including; a Champagne Breakfast at Woodhouse Moor to commemorate the first gathering of players there in 1864. A City of Leeds Reuinion Lunch was held at Headingley Carnegie Stadium to celebrate the contribution of former players and officials of the city’s three professional rugby clubs, Leeds, Hunslet and Bramley.
Leeds Central Library got involved in the celebrations as they held an exhibition to display 150 images of the facets of rugby across the 15 decades. A Student Rugby League Reunion and a Playing the Joker play were both held at Headingley Carnegie Stadium too in what has been a hugely entertaining and successful year of celebrations.
The 150th Anniversary of local company and project sponsor; A. Taylor & Son, was also commemorated at John Charles Centre for Sport earlier this year.
And the final event of this flagship project, will bring all facets of the game together in one huge celebration at Leeds Minster.
Included will be specially commissioned poetry, school choirs, inspirational addresses, the first commemoration of the sportsmen who fell in battle and a link to the side that was the most successful in the city around the turn of the twentieth century – Leeds Parish Church.
Among those in attendance will be – Sir Ian McGeechan, Brian McDermott and the full Leeds Rhinos squad. This is a one off event, not to be missed!
To register your interest in this unique event, please email Siobhan Walpole on: Siobhan.Walpole@leedsrugbyfoundation.org
** Prior to this unique event Leeds Civic Trust and Leeds City Council will be holding Heritage Open Days from Thursday 11th September until Sunday 14th September. To continue the 150 year celebrations, Headingley Carnegie Stadium is playing its part with a Leeds Rugby Exhibition and Stadium Tours (bookable) on Thursday 11th September 10am-4pm and Friday 12th September 10am-3pm. Email info@leedsrugbyfoundation.org for details.