Birkenhead Wanderers FC (rugby league)

Birkenhead Wanderers was a semi-professional rugby league club. The club was based in Birkenhead within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. The club became members of the Northern Rugby Football Union (now Rugby Football League) and played for three full seasons from 1901–02 to 1903–04

Birkenhead Wanderers FC was formed as a rugby union club some time before 1895.

During the early years (during the period playing under RFU rules), the club had a prominent player who gained international caps. Samuel "Sam" Houghton, while playing for Birkenhead Wanderers, was picked to play for England in the first of the 1896 Home Nations Championship games on 4 January 1896 and was then picked to play in the second match of the tournament on 1 February. By this time he had re-signed for his old club Runcorn, who had now changed codes to Northern Union.

Sometime after the Schism, Birkenhead Wanderers decided to change codes and joined the Northern Union.

They entered the Challenge Cup Competition in 1900–01 and lost 2–10 at home to Widnes on 23 March 1901 in the 3rd round.

They joined the ranks of the semi-professionals when they became members of the Northern Union in 1901–02 and played for one season in the Lancashire Senior Competition, which was effectively Division 2 (West). Although they were from Cheshire, they, like several other Cheshire clubs and some Cumberland clubs, participated in the Lancashire Competitions. The club managed a mid-table position of 7th out of 13 clubs.

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