1919 (Feb May) Northern Rugby Football Union Victory season

Season summary

The shortened 1919 (February-May) broken bones end of hostilities and the armistice of Compiègne.
The country was still suffering from the deaths of the long and bitter struggle.

A Wartime Emergency League had been operating since September 1918. This was cancelled, and the programme started tailing off in January 1919.
A new shortened season was introduced with the traditional Lancashire and Yorkshire leagues, to cut travel costs and minimise the use of precious resources.
NOTE - Nowhere in the official archives is the word "Victory" used. It has been used in this article to distinguish between the two competitions held in the 1918-19 season.

The return of the Challenge Cup would have to wait until the following 1919-20, but the Northern Union did manager to re-introduce both the County Cups.

At the end of the shortened regular season, Rochdale Hornets and Hull were declared as Lancashire and Yorkshire League Champions respectively, but there was no play-off to establish an overall Champion.

The Lancashire and Yorkshire County cups were won by Rochdale Hornets and Huddersfield respectively.

There were some changes from the previous shortened season.
Several clubs re-joined the competition :-

Oldham after missing the last two seasons Wakefield Trinity after missing the last two seasons Widnes after missing the last season York after missing the last two seasons

A couple of clubs still did not participate during this season :-

Huddersfield missed the third successive season. They re-joined for the first peacetime League in 1919-20. Keighley again did not take part and in fact did not compete in any of the Wartime Leagues, and not re-entering until the first peacetime League in 1919-20.

Two clubs were lost :-

Runcorn, one of the founder members after the great schism of 1895. They withdrew and folded. Brighouse Rangers, the re-formed team, who only re-joined the league in 1915-16 season, also folded.

No new clubs joined the league for this season.

Championship

The Lancashire and Yorkshire Leagues were set up following the end of the First World War in November 1918, and a shortened programme was played in what would have been the second half of the 1918-19 Season. Prior to this a War Emergency League was started and not finished (click here).

Notes and Comments

1 - re-joined after missing the previous season

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup Competition was still suspended due to the aftermath of war, but the Northern Union managed to fit in the two County Cups.

Lancashire Cup

In the 1st round, on Saturday 5 April 1919, Leigh beat Widnes at Mather Lane 12–5, St Helens beat Warrington at Knowsley Road 11–5, and Wigan were given a bye.
In the 2nd round, on Saturday 12 April 1919, Oldham beat St Helens at Watersheddings 16–8 (before a crowd of approx 3,000), Barrow beat Widnes at Little Park, Roose 6–0 and Wigan beat Swinton at Central Park 18–0.
and in the semi-final Rochdale Hornets beat Wigan at Athletic Grounds 40–0 to set up a meeting with near rivals Oldham

In the Final of the Lancashire County Cup, Rochdale Hornets, already Lancashire League Champions beat Oldham 22–0

Yorkshire Cup

In the 1st round, on Saturday 26 April 1919, Hull beat Leeds at Boulevard 6–0
In the 2nd round, on Saturday 3 May 1919, Hull beat Bramley at Boulevard 31–4
and in the semi-final, on Saturday 10 May 1919, Huddersfield beat Hull at Fartown 23–13

In the Final of the Yorkshire County Cup, Huddersfield, who had not taken part in the league programme beat Dewsbury 14–8