AND MORE ON NORTHERN ...

As noted in my last blog - (please take a look if you haven't seen it) - fixtures between Sunderland and Northern go back a long way - in fact almost 150 years. Even dull games have interesting stories behind them -games such as the one which was played at Newcastle in October 1902.

Although the RFU did not approve of it, the North East had decided to set up a league system for the 1902/3 season and this was one of the first games played in it. The league was called the Inter County Club Championship and was made up from sides from Percy Park, West Hartlepool, Durham City and Northern among others. Sound familiar in 2026?

Newspaper reports for the Sunderland/Northern game confirm that the day was dull, the crowd small and Sunderland victorious by a single unconverted try to nil. However there were a number of interesting characters on each side for the game.

Sunderland player Phil Clarkson was to write his name on the history books a few years later when he landed the first try scored against the All Blacks on English soil. He was playing for Durham County at Hollow Drift.

Also on the Sunderland side was Dr Alan Ayre Smith. Sunderland born, he played for Guy's Hospital in his youth and was asked to go on the British Lions tour of Australia in 1899. Ayre Smith played in 17 of the 20 tour matches and represented Britain in three of the four Test Matches. He scored his only international try in the second test and played an important part in the victories achieved in the third and fourth tests. He sacrificed his international rugby career by working as a dresser in the Imperial Yeomanry Hospital during the Boer War. He then came back to Sunderland, captained the 1st XV and helped it win the County Cup. In the 1920s his doctor's practice was at 15, Grange Crescent. Readers may know this house - a big double fronted one on the corner of the cobbled lane on Stockton Road leading to the new housing estate where the Civic Centre stood.

Players on the Northern team included Rutland Cumberlege - older brother of Barry Cumberlege who was an England stalwart in the years after the First World War. Also on the field for Northern was C W M Potts who later moved to Sunderland and captained the 1st XV just before the war. Finally - in the centres was England and British Lion's Christopher Stanger-Leathes. He was a fine all round sportsman who captained Northumberland Cricket team for many years. He is also the great grandfather of Lucy Gregson, wife of SRFC's flanker Paul Gregson!

1902 side - Clarkson front row second left - Ayre Smith front right with plain socks