Siddal
Siddal is the longest-running amateur Rugby League club in Halifax. Based in the village, they have long been a leading club in Halifax. They jointly hold the record for most Halifax Cup wins and are currently in the top tier of community Rugby League. They have provided many outstanding players to the professional game through their long-standing commitment to developing young players.
Earlier Teams
The first mention of rugby in the Siddal area is for a team called Siddal Hornets who were around in the 1870’s and 1880’s. Then came the Exley based Siddal ...
Origins of Siddal ARLFC
In an age when school leaving age was 12, youngsters up to the age of 18 often continued their education after work, when evening schools operated in day school buildings ...
The Early Years
Siddal did not at that time play at their current home ground of Chevinedge as it was part of the site of the Halifax Zoo which opened in 1909 and ...
Post World War II Years
Following the end of World War Two, Siddal immediately joined the U18 and U16 leagues although it was a few years before they had an open age side. When it ...
The 1960’s
By 1960 there were only four open-age teams operating in Halifax – Siddal, Ovenden, Greetland and Hebden Bridge. Siddal, along with Ovenden from Halifax, also joined the Huddersfield League. It ...
The 1970’s
The 1970’s began with Siddal playing in the local league in the years before the advent of BARLA. They won the Halifax Championship again in 1970-71 at Thrum Hall defeating ...
The 1980’s
Although there was no cup success in 1980-981, the season was to be a successful one. Some excellent performances during the years meant that Siddal were crowned Division 1 Champions ...
The 1990’s
This was the period in which Siddal started to become a real force in local Rugby League. It was a decade in which they would win the Halifax Cup three ...
The New Century
The start of Siddal’s golden era had already started and the first team were performing well in NCL Division 1. In the local competitions, it was Siddal A who played ...
NCL Grand Final
Siddal has the best record by far of any Halifax team in the National Conference League. Since their debut in the 1997-98 season, they have been ever-present and have continued ...
RFL Challenge Cup
At time of writing in 2025, Siddal has played 71 RFL Challenge Cup ties. Indeed, they have qualified for the RFL Challenge Cup every season since 1996 ( except 2021 ...
The “A” and “B” Teams
The Siddal “A” team had its origins in the early 1970’s when Eric O’Connor was asked to form a second team. The first record of the “A” team is in ...
Halifax Cup
Siddal have won the trophy a record number of times over the years. Starting in the 1952-53 season, the trophy has gone to Siddal on twelve occasions, the latest being ...
The Siddal Clubhouses
For many decades, the Siddal club lead a nomadic existence much like many other clubs in Halifax. They moved from pub to pub around the Siddal village. The Siddal Place ...