John Wilkinson Birch John Wilkinson Birch (1878 – 10 October 1953) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1890s and 1900s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Leeds Parish Church and Leeds (Heritage № 130), as a forward (prior to the specialist positions of; prop, hooker, second-row, loose forward), during the era of contested scrums.