Quote: JB Down Under "Rubbish! RL was the only sport they had a problem with, professional soccer player, no problem, professional golfer, no problem. Reality was RL was the ONLY sport they took this stand with, explain that one gutter.'"
Correct.
In fact, rugby union had players who played both Union and soccer. They were never excommunicated from Union. If you tried to play with in the rebellion up north, you were done for. All very intricately documented.
The irony, the greatest of them all, is that a century later the very thing they despised and heaped on, they turned into. Scum, really.
On the one hand, Rugby as a game would be far more stronger today had it stayed intact. In fact up until the 1880s, rugby football was more popular than soccer. Not going professional basically consigned any future form of rugby code to be a bridesmaid to soccer, which had then started gaining some real momentum after it went professional.
On the other hand, we might not have rugby league today. Its a tough one to call!
[quote="-VIKINGMAN-"]Respect to Roofs, the president of East Hull. 
[/quote]:d7dc4b20b2c2dd7b76ac6eac29d5604e_17371.jpg
