Henry Holroyd, 3rd Earl of Sheffield he presented a donation of £150 to the New South Wales Cricket Association which was used to purchase a plate and establish the competition known as the Sheffield Shield, the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. Lord Sheffield died in Beaulieu, France, in April 1909, aged 77. Rumoured to be homosexual, he remained unmarried, and on his death the earldom became extinct. However, he was succeeded in his junior title of Baron Sheffield, which had a special remainder that allowed it to be passed through female lines, by his first cousin once removed, Edward Stanley, 4th Baron Stanley of Alderley.
History of the Midlands Merit League Akkies RLFC. The final table (27 July) was as follows: Play-offs: Championship semi-finals Moorends-Thorne Marauders 'A' 44 Sheffield Forgers 22 Nottingham Outlaws 'A' 4 Wigan Riversiders 48 Shield semi-finals Nottingham 30 German Exiles 24 Sheffield 36 Birmingham Bulldogs 24 FINALS: Sunday 17 August 2008 GRAND FINAL: Moorends-Thorne Marauders 'A' 28 Wigan Riversiders 18 SHIELD: Nottingham Outlaws 34 Sheffield Forgers 32 2009 saw the largest ever entry, with over 30 teams split into two leagues; "Yorkshire and Humber" and "North West" with Midlands teams joining the newly created Midlands Rugby League. The top four teams in the two pools played-off for