Welsh League
Encyclopedia
The Welsh League was the first club rugby league
competition in Wales
. Its inaugural season was in 1908/09 when four additional teams were formed to join Ebbw Vale RLFC
and Merthyr Tydfil RLFC
, which allowed a league tournament to take place. The Welsh League ran for just two seasons, after three of the teams, Aberdare
, Barry
and Mid-Rhondda
left the Northern Union
and ceased playing rugby in the first season; followed by the collapse of Treherbert
in 1910. Both seasons were won by Ebbw Vale.
area, with little interest in association football, which was seen as a north Wales sport, or the emerging professional Northern Union
game, which would eventually be known as rugby league. The problem facing the Welsh Rugby Union
, the governing body of rugby union in Wales, was the problem keeping union an amateur sport during a period which saw fluctuating prosperity in an industrialised south Wales. The Northern Union paid players per match, offered large signing on fees, found jobs and even found houses for some of their bigger stars. Under rugby union rules, players were not even allowed to accept trivial monies such as travelling expenses, or be found guilt of professionalism and suspended, or more likely banned from the sport for life.
To prevent losing their star players, many rugby union clubs secretly paid their players a small amount of money for each match played. The first real challenge to the WRU came in 1907, when two events triggered an investigation into the dealings of several clubs, mainly Aberdare RFC
, Merthyr Alexandra RFC and Treorchy RFC
. It began when E.M. Rees, the ex-Secretary of Aberdare, blew the whistle
on player payments. Rees made three claims in the local press, firstly that all players at his former club were receiving hidden wages, secondly that Aberdare had received a payment of £15 from rivals Treorchy to throw a crucial League match, and finally that Merthyr Alexandria had demanded a payment of £7 5s to bring his team to play Aberdare. The most notable player to be named in the scandal, was Dai "Tarw" Jones, an internationally capped player for Wales
, and hero of the famous 1905 Welsh victory over the first touring New Zealand team. Aberdare were accused of paying their players 10 shilling
s a week, as well as free meals and travel expenses. Jones had switched from his old club Treherbert RFC
in 1902 to join Aberdare, but in 1906, Aberdare were forced to cut their 'wages' from 10 shillings to five, to combat mounting debts. Jones had taken offence at this and switched back to Treherbert.
The WRU held an investigation into all the allegations, and the sub-committees final report, published in September 1907 asserted that the allegations of professionalism being "rampant in Welsh clubs" were not proven, although they did find evidence of certain clubs giving additional payments to their players. The Union's reaction was incisive but unbalanced. Temporary suspensions were given to six players, including Swansea's
Fred Scrine
, the permanent suspension of the entire Aberdare and Treorchy committees, and the permanent suspension of eight player from the sport of rugby union, including Dai Jones. Although Merthyr Alexandria were let off with just a warning. The reason for the leniency shown to Merthyr is thought to have been connected to the club's apparent move to the professional Northern code. Merthyr Alexandria, had proposed in their AGM of 1907 to turn away from amateurism and join the Northern Union. Although the motion was heavily defeated, the week after the AGM it was reported that fixtures had been arranged , players signed and guarantors found for a new 'professional rugby club' in the town. In July 1907 a new Merthyr Tydfil league team joined the Northern Rugby Union
. It was therefore believed the WRU did not suspended or punish Merthyr Alexandria to prevent the squad converting to the newly formed league team. Just prior to the formation of Merthyr Tydfil RLFC, Ebbw Vale RFC
had decide to switch from the union game and joined the Northern Union because the members were enraged at the "...bogus amateurism in the Monmouthshire League". Both these clubs formed the first professional challenge from Wales in the Northern League finishing 23rd (Merthyr) and 26th (Ebbw Vale) out of 27 teams in their first season.
rugby league team, take on their counterparts from New Zealand
in the first true international rugby league game in world history. The team consisted of Welsh exiles form the Northern Union teams, plus two players from both Ebbw Vale (Chick Jenkins
and Oliver Burgham
) and Merthyr Tydfil (Dai "Tarw" Jones and David Davies
). Rather than playing the game at either Ebbw Vale or Merthyr, the neutral ground of Aberdare Athletic Ground
was chosen by the Northern Union. An earlier attempt to produce a professional team in Aberdare had failed, despite the fact that the town had been at the centre of the "shamateurism" row; mainly due to a failure to achieve financial backing and a failure to secure a playing field. After a crowd of 15000 paid £560 to watch Wales win 9-8, and the commercial potential of a Northern Union club became more apparent. A group of 'tradesmen and sportsmen' met in March 1908 to agree financing, and from this Aberdare RLFC was formed.
The second match was another international, this time the first encounter between Wales and England
on 20 April 1908. In similar circumstances the Northern Union chose another venue where professional sympathies lay, this time Tonypandy
in the Rhondda Valley
. Just a few weeks after the game, Tonypandy saw the emergence of their own Northern team, Mid-Rhondda. A second Rhondda team also formed at almost the same time, Treherbert RLFC joined the Union in April. The sixth and final Welsh team, Barry, joined at the same time, and they played their first match in September, against Treherbert.
. The first league tourists were the New Zealand team in 1908, who faced the Wales team, but Australia did not face Wales so the Welsh League XIII was the closest the Kangaroos came to facing the national side. The Welsh League XIII was made up of players from all six teams, but the majority came from Merthyr, who supplied eight of the thirteen players. The Welsh League XIII faced the Australians at Merthyr in front of a crowd of 6000, and won the game by a narrow 14-13 scoreline. A Welsh League XIII also played Ebbw Vale at the end of the 1908/09 season.
The Welsh League was weak in comparison with the more established northern clubs. Between the six clubs competing only one Welsh rugby union international was signed to their books, and that was Merthyr's Dai "Tarw" Jones. With little capital up front, they were seen as a poor alternative to players wishing to switch to the professional code. Ben Gronow
was offered £25 and a job to join Ebbw Vale, yet he turned down the offer only to accept a fee of £125 to sign with Huddersfield
. With few star players, the attendance at matches was low, and therefore the club takings suffered.
The Northern Union was also unhelpful in these early attempts at creating a Welsh League, expecting the Welsh clubs to take care of themselves. When Ebbw Vale and Merthyr formed in 1907, the Northern Union allowed a travel subsidy of £10 every time they played in the north, but after the election of the other four clubs, this subsidy was reduced to £5, despite the problems facing the new clubs. The Northern Union also showed little support in helping the new clubs cope with the challenges of professionalism, and few questions were asked about the background of the people running each business. By 1910, Merthyr's administration was described as shambolic with no one appearing to be running the club; while financially it was reliant on unsecured loans that helped precipitate its rapid demise.
Although difficult to measure, the uncaring attitude of the northern clubs also had an effect on the Welsh game. One commentator stated, 'if the game there [South Wales] cannot be made self-supporting, clubs in the north should not be taxed to make good its weakness.' When Tom Thomas failed to settle in Wigan, his club placed a hefty £60 fee on his head to transfer back to Wales. Merthyr raised the fee with great difficulty, and although it made good business sense for Wigan to get the best price for a player of little future use to them, it was the sort of short-sightedness that damaged the sport in Wales. As often occurred, the member clubs' self-interest overrode the desire for expansion, and was yet another factor in the demise of rugby league in Wales and the Welsh League.
The position of each team at the end of the season is decided on winning percentage. Winning percentage is calculated on games won plus half games drawn divided by games played. The teams are then ranked in order, with the club with the highest percentage as champions.
The first Welsh League was won by Ebbw Vale.
The position of each team at the end of the season is decided on winning percentage. Winning percentage is calculated on games won plus half games drawn divided by games played. The teams are then ranked in order, with the club with the highest percentage as champions.
The second Welsh League was won by Ebbw Vale.
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
competition in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Its inaugural season was in 1908/09 when four additional teams were formed to join Ebbw Vale RLFC
Ebbw Vale RLFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh...
and Merthyr Tydfil RLFC
Merthyr Tydfil RLFC
Merthyr Tydfil Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at College Field, Merthyr Tydfil were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and folded in 1911 after the failure of the Welsh League...
, which allowed a league tournament to take place. The Welsh League ran for just two seasons, after three of the teams, Aberdare
Aberdare RLFC
Aberdare Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Aberdare, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union...
, Barry
Barry RLFC
Barry Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union...
and Mid-Rhondda
Mid-Rhondda RLFC
Mid-Rhondda Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Tonypandy, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground in Tonypandy, Mid-Rhondda were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just a single...
left the Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
and ceased playing rugby in the first season; followed by the collapse of Treherbert
Treherbert RLFC
Treherbert Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Treherbert, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground, Treherbert were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just two seasons...
in 1910. Both seasons were won by Ebbw Vale.
The first rugby league clubs
South Wales in the late 19th and early 20th century was a staunch rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
area, with little interest in association football, which was seen as a north Wales sport, or the emerging professional Northern Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
game, which would eventually be known as rugby league. The problem facing the Welsh Rugby Union
Welsh Rugby Union
The Welsh Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby union in Wales, recognised by the International Rugby Board.The union's patron is Queen Elizabeth II, and her grandson Prince William of Wales became the Vice Royal Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union as of February 2007.-History:The roots of the...
, the governing body of rugby union in Wales, was the problem keeping union an amateur sport during a period which saw fluctuating prosperity in an industrialised south Wales. The Northern Union paid players per match, offered large signing on fees, found jobs and even found houses for some of their bigger stars. Under rugby union rules, players were not even allowed to accept trivial monies such as travelling expenses, or be found guilt of professionalism and suspended, or more likely banned from the sport for life.
Aberdare RFC
Aberdare Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in the town Aberdare in South Wales. Aberdare RFC plays in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three South East league and is a feeder club for the Cardiff Blues.-Club history:...
, Merthyr Alexandra RFC and Treorchy RFC
Treorchy RFC
Treorchy Rugby Football Club is a rugby union team from the village of Treorchy, in the Rhondda Valley, Wales. They formed in 1886 and by 1891 were a strong voice in the Welsh Football Union and were playing in the Rhondda Division...
. It began when E.M. Rees, the ex-Secretary of Aberdare, blew the whistle
Whistleblower
A whistleblower is a person who tells the public or someone in authority about alleged dishonest or illegal activities occurring in a government department, a public or private organization, or a company...
on player payments. Rees made three claims in the local press, firstly that all players at his former club were receiving hidden wages, secondly that Aberdare had received a payment of £15 from rivals Treorchy to throw a crucial League match, and finally that Merthyr Alexandria had demanded a payment of £7 5s to bring his team to play Aberdare. The most notable player to be named in the scandal, was Dai "Tarw" Jones, an internationally capped player for Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
, and hero of the famous 1905 Welsh victory over the first touring New Zealand team. Aberdare were accused of paying their players 10 shilling
Shilling
The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...
s a week, as well as free meals and travel expenses. Jones had switched from his old club Treherbert RFC
Treherbert RFC
Treherbert Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team based in Tynewydd in the Rhondda Valley. Treherbert RFC play home games in red shirts with black shorts and black socks...
in 1902 to join Aberdare, but in 1906, Aberdare were forced to cut their 'wages' from 10 shillings to five, to combat mounting debts. Jones had taken offence at this and switched back to Treherbert.
The WRU held an investigation into all the allegations, and the sub-committees final report, published in September 1907 asserted that the allegations of professionalism being "rampant in Welsh clubs" were not proven, although they did find evidence of certain clubs giving additional payments to their players. The Union's reaction was incisive but unbalanced. Temporary suspensions were given to six players, including Swansea's
Swansea RFC
Swansea Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union team which plays in the Welsh Premier Division. Its home ground is St Helens Rugby and Cricket Ground in Swansea. The team is sometimes known as The Whites because of the primary colour of the team strip...
Fred Scrine
Fred Scrine
Fred Scrine was a Welsh international rugby union scrum-half who played club rugby for Swansea. Scrine's style of play was as a fast spoiling player and was first capped for Wales in 1899 against England.-Rugby career:...
, the permanent suspension of the entire Aberdare and Treorchy committees, and the permanent suspension of eight player from the sport of rugby union, including Dai Jones. Although Merthyr Alexandria were let off with just a warning. The reason for the leniency shown to Merthyr is thought to have been connected to the club's apparent move to the professional Northern code. Merthyr Alexandria, had proposed in their AGM of 1907 to turn away from amateurism and join the Northern Union. Although the motion was heavily defeated, the week after the AGM it was reported that fixtures had been arranged , players signed and guarantors found for a new 'professional rugby club' in the town. In July 1907 a new Merthyr Tydfil league team joined the Northern Rugby Union
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league football in England. Based at Red Hall in Leeds, it administers the England national rugby league team, the Challenge Cup, Super League and the Rugby League Championships...
. It was therefore believed the WRU did not suspended or punish Merthyr Alexandria to prevent the squad converting to the newly formed league team. Just prior to the formation of Merthyr Tydfil RLFC, Ebbw Vale RFC
Ebbw Vale RFC
Ebbw Vale Rugby Football Club is a Welsh Rugby Union Club based in the town of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent, South Wales. The club currently play in the WRU Division One East and the SWALEC Cup. It also acts as a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons....
had decide to switch from the union game and joined the Northern Union because the members were enraged at the "...bogus amateurism in the Monmouthshire League". Both these clubs formed the first professional challenge from Wales in the Northern League finishing 23rd (Merthyr) and 26th (Ebbw Vale) out of 27 teams in their first season.
The spread of professional rugby
Before the start of the 1908/09 season, two important matches took place that helped spread the appeal of Northern Union rugby. The first match saw the WalesWales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
rugby league team, take on their counterparts from New Zealand
New Zealand national rugby league team
The New Zealand national rugby league team has represented New Zealand in rugby league football since intercontinental competition began for the sport in 1907. Administered by the New Zealand Rugby League, they are commonly known as the Kiwis, after the native bird of that name...
in the first true international rugby league game in world history. The team consisted of Welsh exiles form the Northern Union teams, plus two players from both Ebbw Vale (Chick Jenkins
Chick Jenkins
W. E. 'Chick' Jenkins was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at club level played rugby union for Pontypool RFC, and at representative level played rugby league for Great Britain , and Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale, playing at , i.e...
and Oliver Burgham
Oliver Burgham
Oliver Burgham was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at representative level played for Great Britain, and Wales, and at club level for Ebbw Vale, and Halifax, playing at , or , i.e...
) and Merthyr Tydfil (Dai "Tarw" Jones and David Davies
David Davies (rugby league)
David B. Davies was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s and '10s who at representative level played for Wales, and Welsh League XIII, and at club level for Merthyr Tydfil, Swinton, and Oldham, playing at , or , i.e...
). Rather than playing the game at either Ebbw Vale or Merthyr, the neutral ground of Aberdare Athletic Ground
Aberdare Athletic Ground
The Aberdare Athletic Ground was a mixed sports venue in Aberdare, Wales, which was predominantly used for football. For some years it was the home of Aberdare Athletic F.C., who were members of the Football League between 1921 and 1927....
was chosen by the Northern Union. An earlier attempt to produce a professional team in Aberdare had failed, despite the fact that the town had been at the centre of the "shamateurism" row; mainly due to a failure to achieve financial backing and a failure to secure a playing field. After a crowd of 15000 paid £560 to watch Wales win 9-8, and the commercial potential of a Northern Union club became more apparent. A group of 'tradesmen and sportsmen' met in March 1908 to agree financing, and from this Aberdare RLFC was formed.
The second match was another international, this time the first encounter between Wales and England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
on 20 April 1908. In similar circumstances the Northern Union chose another venue where professional sympathies lay, this time Tonypandy
Tonypandy
Tonypandy is a town in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying in the Rhondda Fawr Valley. A former industrial coal mining town, today Tonypandy is best known as the site of the Tonypandy Riots....
in the Rhondda Valley
Rhondda
Rhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
. Just a few weeks after the game, Tonypandy saw the emergence of their own Northern team, Mid-Rhondda. A second Rhondda team also formed at almost the same time, Treherbert RLFC joined the Union in April. The sixth and final Welsh team, Barry, joined at the same time, and they played their first match in September, against Treherbert.
Welsh League XIII
A Welsh League XIII was formed to face the Australia national rugby league team on their first tour1908/09 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain
A Kangaroo tour is a rugby league tour of Great Britain and France by an Australia representative squad. Traditionally Kangaroo tours took place every four years and involved a three-Test Ashes series against Great Britain and a number of tour matches...
. The first league tourists were the New Zealand team in 1908, who faced the Wales team, but Australia did not face Wales so the Welsh League XIII was the closest the Kangaroos came to facing the national side. The Welsh League XIII was made up of players from all six teams, but the majority came from Merthyr, who supplied eight of the thirteen players. The Welsh League XIII faced the Australians at Merthyr in front of a crowd of 6000, and won the game by a narrow 14-13 scoreline. A Welsh League XIII also played Ebbw Vale at the end of the 1908/09 season.
Collapse of the Welsh League
The Welsh League lasted for just two seasons, and the 1909/10 tournament had just three teams competing. Simply the League failed because the clubs failed and with no new clubs emerging the first attempt at bringing rugby league to Wales came to an abrupt end. The new clubs faced hostility from the rugby union scene, class prejudice and the rise of a more popular professional game, association football. Though the biggest issues for the Welsh League were an inability to challenge the more established clubs for players, a lack of support from the Northern Union and the mismanagement of the Welsh clubs.The Welsh League was weak in comparison with the more established northern clubs. Between the six clubs competing only one Welsh rugby union international was signed to their books, and that was Merthyr's Dai "Tarw" Jones. With little capital up front, they were seen as a poor alternative to players wishing to switch to the professional code. Ben Gronow
Benjamin Gronow
Benjamin "Ben" Gronow was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1910s and '20s. At club level Gronow played under the union code for Bridgend RFC, county rugby for Glamorgan and international rugby for Wales union team...
was offered £25 and a job to join Ebbw Vale, yet he turned down the offer only to accept a fee of £125 to sign with Huddersfield
Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield Giants are a professional rugby league club from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire who play in the European Super League competition. They play their home games at the Galpharm Stadium which is shared with Huddersfield Town F.C....
. With few star players, the attendance at matches was low, and therefore the club takings suffered.
The Northern Union was also unhelpful in these early attempts at creating a Welsh League, expecting the Welsh clubs to take care of themselves. When Ebbw Vale and Merthyr formed in 1907, the Northern Union allowed a travel subsidy of £10 every time they played in the north, but after the election of the other four clubs, this subsidy was reduced to £5, despite the problems facing the new clubs. The Northern Union also showed little support in helping the new clubs cope with the challenges of professionalism, and few questions were asked about the background of the people running each business. By 1910, Merthyr's administration was described as shambolic with no one appearing to be running the club; while financially it was reliant on unsecured loans that helped precipitate its rapid demise.
Although difficult to measure, the uncaring attitude of the northern clubs also had an effect on the Welsh game. One commentator stated, 'if the game there [South Wales] cannot be made self-supporting, clubs in the north should not be taxed to make good its weakness.' When Tom Thomas failed to settle in Wigan, his club placed a hefty £60 fee on his head to transfer back to Wales. Merthyr raised the fee with great difficulty, and although it made good business sense for Wigan to get the best price for a player of little future use to them, it was the sort of short-sightedness that damaged the sport in Wales. As often occurred, the member clubs' self-interest overrode the desire for expansion, and was yet another factor in the demise of rugby league in Wales and the Welsh League.
Welsh League
When Aberdare and Barry joined the Northern Union on 21 July 1908, it was decided that with six Welsh teams a Welsh League could be formed. The Northern Union presented the League with a cup, valued at 50 guineas, for the Welsh champions.1908/1909 season
The first Welsh League tournament was contested between Aberdare, Barry, Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfil, Mid-Rhondda and Treherbert. Each team was scheduled to play each other twice, home and away. As the Welsh teams were playing in the Welsh League and the Northern Rugby League, and both leagues were separate tournaments, each team would over the course of the season face each four times, twice in the Welsh League and twice in the Northern Rugby League.The position of each team at the end of the season is decided on winning percentage. Winning percentage is calculated on games won plus half games drawn divided by games played. The teams are then ranked in order, with the club with the highest percentage as champions.
The first Welsh League was won by Ebbw Vale.
Table
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Pts For | Pts Agst | Points | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebbw Vale RLFC Ebbw Vale RLFC Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh... |
8 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 135 | 21 | 14 | 87.50% |
| 2 | Mid-Rhondda RLFC Mid-Rhondda RLFC Mid-Rhondda Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Tonypandy, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground in Tonypandy, Mid-Rhondda were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just a single... |
9 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 59 | 45 | 12 | 66.67% |
| 3 | Merthyr Tydfil RLFC Merthyr Tydfil RLFC Merthyr Tydfil Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at College Field, Merthyr Tydfil were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and folded in 1911 after the failure of the Welsh League... |
10 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 101 | 70 | 10 | 50.00% |
| 4 | Treherbert RLFC Treherbert RLFC Treherbert Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Treherbert, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground, Treherbert were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just two seasons... |
9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 64 | 105 | 7 | 38.89% |
| 5 | Aberdare RLFC Aberdare RLFC Aberdare Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Aberdare, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union... |
8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 64 | 108 | 4 | 37.50% |
| 6 | Barry RLFC Barry RLFC Barry Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union... |
6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 17 | 91 | 4 | 8.33% |
1908/09 Matches
1909/1910 season
The second Welsh League tournament was contested between Ebbw Vale, Merthyr Tydfil and Treherbert. Each team was scheduled to play each other twice, home and away. As the Welsh teams were playing in the Welsh League and the Northern Rugby League, and both leagues were separate tournaments, each team would over the course of the season face each four times, twice in the Welsh League and twice in the Northern Rugby League.The position of each team at the end of the season is decided on winning percentage. Winning percentage is calculated on games won plus half games drawn divided by games played. The teams are then ranked in order, with the club with the highest percentage as champions.
The second Welsh League was won by Ebbw Vale.
Table
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Pts For | Pts Agst | Points | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ebbw Vale RLFC Ebbw Vale RLFC Ebbw Vale Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Ebbw Vale, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at Bridge End Field, Ebbw Vale were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and the last to disband in 1912 after the failure of the Welsh... |
3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 8 | 6 | 100.00% |
| 2 | Merthyr Tydfil RLFC Merthyr Tydfil RLFC Merthyr Tydfil Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at College Field, Merthyr Tydfil were one of the first professional Welsh teams, and folded in 1911 after the failure of the Welsh League... |
4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 40 | 4 | 50.00% |
| 3 | Treherbert RLFC Treherbert RLFC Treherbert Rugby League Football Club was a professional rugby league club based in Treherbert, Wales playing in the Welsh League and Northern Union. Based at the Athletic Ground, Treherbert were one of the first professional Welsh teams, formed in 1908 but folding after just two seasons... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 42 | 0 | 00.00% |