Vintage footage of rugby league games featuring Hull FC and Hull KR has been published by the British Pathé archive on the video sharing site YouTube.
The newsreel maker, which filmed thousands of hours of footage between 1910 and 1970, has uploaded its entire archive of films for people to watch free of charge.
Films featuring the Hull clubs date as far back as 1922 and include several Challenge Cup finals. Footage of a 1926 test between England and New Zealand at the Boulevard is also available.
The earliest footage featuring Hull Kingston Rovers records the 1925 Challenge Cup run, including the semi-final win over Leeds at Wakefield, and the 16-3 defeat to Oldham in the final at Headingley.
A film of the 1964 Challenge Cup final between Hull KR and Widnes at Wembley is presented in glorious Technicolor. Rovers lost 13-5, but the beautiful footage is well worth watching for the slow-motion action, crowd close-ups and post-match celebrations.
The Black and Whites feature in a 1922 match against Huddersfield entitled, Huddersfield v. Hull – big crowds see exciting game at Swindon Moorhouse’s Benefit Match. It’s no-holds-barred stuff and there’s some excellent shots of the crowd waving their flat caps.
The 1938 Yorkshire Cup final between Hull and Huddersfield, played at Odsal, Bradford, is included in the archive. The Airlie Birds lost 18-10 in front of a crowd of 28,714.
Hull’s consecutive Challenge Cup final defeats at Wembley, in 1959 and 1960, can also be viewed. The first, a 30-13 defeat to Wigan, includes footage of Tommy Finn scoring a consolation try and various crowd close-ups. The 1960 result was no better: it was Wakefield who received the trophy from the Queen after a 38-5 victory, but the video does show Johnny Whiteley winning the coin toss.
A 1926 test between England and New Zealand at the Boulevard shows the Kiwis performing the famous Haka, although judging by this footage here, the New Zealanders had not quite perfected the war dance now renowned for its intimidating qualities. England won the match 21-11.
Pathé was founded in Paris in 1896 and expanded to Britain in 1910. Its general manager Alastair White said: “This archive is a treasure trove unrivalled in historical and cultural significance that should never be forgotten. Uploading the films to YouTube seemed like the best way to make sure of that.”
The British Pathé archive can be found and searched here on YouTube.
Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/scotland/rugby/story/215115.html
Historic Hull FC and Hull KR rugby league films published by British Pathé on ...
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