Quote: Bullpower2012 "In response to your first question – as you clearly state S Wales and North England share social and economic similarities, however the industries served in these areas are totally different. In 1895 league broke away due to broken time payments for the Mill workers of the North – the welsh industry was based around coal and steel (still is!), these are 24 hour operations so I would guess that the workers were on rotating shifts and maybe that is why they didn’t join the Northern union at its outset, as the workers (and mine/steel mill owners) were not losing out.
Get yourself to the George hotel in Hudds – should be loads of info
As for part 2 – where to start but I’d suggest that Aussie RL has been a full time pro sport longer than in the UK, thus tactics, fitness and knowledge gained has kept them at the forefront of the game'"
Don't know about Yorkshire but in Lancs it was mainly mine workers. There were plenty of cotton mills but they were predominantly in none RL towns like Bolton, Blackburn, Burnley etc. Think the heavy industries, apart from the mills, were common to both South Wales and Northern England.