Maine Road hosted two England internationals, the first was a 3-0 defeat of Wales on November 13, 1946 and the second a 9-2 win over Northern Ireland on November 16, 1949, England's first ever World Cup qualifier. In addition, A number of wartime internationals were held at the ground. Maine Road was also the venue for a number of rugby league matches, hosting the rugby league championship final eleven times between 1938 and 1956.