rugby league player rugby union player
Prior to Thursday 29 August, Batley was a rugby union club International honours Change of Code When Batley converted from the rugby union code to the rugby league code on Thursday 29 August 1895, Harry Bedford would have been approximately 29 years of age. Consequently, he may have been both a rugby union and rugby league football player for Batley.
Harry Bedford won caps for England while at Batley in 1889 against New Zealand Natives, and in 1890 against Scotland, and Ireland. In the early years of rugby football the goal was to score goals, and a try had zero value, but it provided the opportunity to try at goal, and convert the try to a goal with an unopposed kick at the goal posts. The point values of both the try and goal have varied over time, and in the early years football players could "score" a try, without scoring any points.
