Heckmondwike was a semi-professional rugby league club based in Heckmondwike in the metropolitan borough of Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England.
Contents
The club played semi-professional rugby league for a total of 4 seasons and spent each of the seasons in the Yorkshire Senior Competition. They first became members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League in 1896–97 and stayed for three seasons until 1898–99. After a two-year break, they returned to the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League in 1901–02 for a further single season
At the end of season 1901–02 the club left the league.
Early Days
Heckmondwike FC was formed as a rugby football club some time before 1895. They converted from the rugby union to rugby league in the summer of 1896, in time for the 1896–97 season.
During the early years the club had three prominent players who gained international caps: Richard "Dicky" Lockwood, Donald Jowett, and John William "Willie" or "J. W." Sutcliffe.
They joined the ranks of the semi-professionals when they became members of the Northern Union in its second season 1896–97 and played in the Yorkshire Senior Competition, which was effectively Division 2 (East). At the end of this first season, 1896–97, Heckmondwike finished in bottom place out of the 16 clubs..
In the second season, 1897–98 the club did very little better, finishing 15th out of 16 clubs, despite the signing of the former England (RU) and Bradford F.C. Half-back, Horace Duckett. They slipped back to bottom position out of 16 in the third season, 1898–99. Heckmondwike dropped out of the league for the next two seasons. It is assumed that they played in the lower divisions as an amateur club.
Heckmondwike returned for the start of the 1901–02 and finished in 11th place out of 14 clubs
At the end of the 1901–02 season, the County Leagues elected 18 teams to join the new Division 2 (7 from Lancashire and 10 from Yorkshire and new member South Shields) with the existing second competition scrapped.
Heckmondwike were one of the 4 Yorkshire (the others being Goole, Liversedge and Sowerby Bridge) and 2 Lancashire clubs (Altrincham and Radcliffe) not elected to the new Division 2, but it is unknown as to which route the club followed.
Heckmondwike dropped out of the league after the end of season 1901–02.
Club league record
The league positions for Heckmondwike for the three years in which they played semi-professional rugby league are given in the following table:
Several fixtures and results
The following are just a few of Heckmondwike fixtures during the three seasons (and other times) in which they played semi-professional rugby league
Notable players
J. Bland of Heckmondwike played in The Rest's 5-7 defeat to Leeds in the 1901–02 Yorkshire Senior Competition Champions versus The Rest match at Headingley Stadium on Saturday 19 April 1902.