Bygones: Celebrating rich past drives on Otley to create fresh memories

RICH PAST: Action from Otley's Cross Green ground back in November 1979, when New Zealand were brought to their knees by the Northern Division, who won 21-9, the All Blacks only defeat on that tour.

IT IS arguably unique in rugby that a club as rich in history as Otley is best known for a game they didn’t actually play in.

The West Yorkshire club celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday when past and current players congregated at Cross Green after their National Two North match versus Leicester Lions to mark the notable occasion.

However, Otley, who have produced some greats of the sport since its inception in 1865, not least former and current England scrum-halves Nigel Melville and Danny Care, will forever be associated with a certain representative match on November 17, 1979.

That was the date, of course, when the mighty All Blacks visited the little market town nestled between Leeds and Bradford. And, on a wet, miserable afternoon, they were duly brought to their knees in a shock 21-9 defeat by the Northern Division.

Melville, who started his career with Otley before eventually starring with Wasps and captaining England on debut, told The Yorkshire Post: “Out of all my memories there, the All Blacks’ visit to Otley has to be the special one for me.

“It was my club, my town and I was on the bench that day.

“I got to be involved in the build-up, the team talk, the passion that that team had and their drive to beat New Zealand.

“It was one of those special moments in time.”

It was the All Blacks’ only defeat on the 11-game tour, when they edged past England at Twickenham a week later having already beaten Scotland, and it has certainly gone down in rugby folklore after 8,000 people crammed in to witness events unfold.

Cross Green, which the club built in 1921, definitely has a habit of staging classic games, including being the smallest stadium ever to host a World Cup game.