Halifax's award-winning Rugby Town documentary screened at the Houses of Parliament
Halifax's rugby league story reached the heart of Westminster as the award-winning documentary Rugby Town was screened for an audience of MPs, film industry professionals and members of the new Halifax Panthers board.
The special screening was organised by Halifax MP Kate Dearden, who invited filmmaker James Mellor of Rainbow Trout Films to bring the story of 150 years of rugby league in the town to Parliament.
Rugby Town, produced and directed by Mellor from his base at Dean Clough in Halifax, charts the history of Halifax RLFC from its beginnings in 1873, sparked by a simple advertisement in the local paper, through the glory of the 1987 Challenge Cup triumph at Wembley, to the modern-day Panthers. The film was originally commissioned by the Halifax Panthers' Supporters Trust and features interviews with club legends, fans and historians, alongside recreations of the club's earliest days filmed at landmarks across Calderdale.
The documentary has enjoyed a hugely successful international festival run, screening at eight festivals and picking up three awards, including Best Film about a Team Sport at the International Sports Film Festival in Slovenia, a win at the New York International Film Awards, and an award at the Olympic-backed FICTS festival in Milan.
Monday's audience included MPs and industry guests such as Michael Gould, Jayesh Makwana and film producer Emmanuel Anyiam-Osigwe MBE. The screening also gave Mellor the chance to meet members of the new board at Halifax Panthers, and guests were treated to a tour of Parliament.
James Mellor said: “To take a film about Halifax and its rugby league heritage all the way to the Houses of Parliament was a very proud moment. This story started with a group of lads and an advert in the local paper in 1873, and now it's been shown in Westminster. That says everything about what rugby league means to our town.”
“A huge thank you to Kate Dearden for making it happen. It was also fantastic to meet the new team at Halifax Panthers, and it's brilliant to see how well the film is still being received nearly two years on from its festival run.”
Mellor also revealed that work is now under way on an extended version of Rugby Town for television, which would bring the story of Halifax's rugby league heritage to an even wider audience.
Kate Dearden MP said: “It was brilliant to host a screening of Rugby Town in Parliament, sharing the amazing story of Halifax’s 150-year history of Rugby League with my fellow MPs, as well as guests from our very own Halifax Panthers and film industry representatives.
“It was really special to be able to celebrate Halifax’s sporting and cultural heritage in Parliament, as well as share the incredible talent of one of Halifax’s very own filmmakers, James Mellor.
“Halifax has so much to be proud of and this is just another example of our town’s incredible story and success.”
Rugby Town has previously been screened at sold-out community events across Calderdale, including The Rex Cinema in Elland, and continues to be in demand for screenings.