British Prime Minister Harold Wilson hails from here, as well as actors Roy Castle, Patrick Stewart and James Mason, poet and author Simon Armitage, and rugby league player Harold Wagstaff.

On 29th August 1895, the George Hotel in the centre of Huddersfield was the meeting place for 22 rugby clubs from across the North of England who voted to secede from the Rugby Football Union and set up their own Northern Rugby Football Union, which became the Rugby Football League in 1922. Huddersfield is still a focus for rugby league, being represented by Huddersfield Giants in the Superleague, and Huddersfield Underbank Rangers in National League 3, as well as many amateur teams. Huddersfield Giants play in claret and gold hooped shirts and white shorts.

Huddersfield Town A.F.C are the town's senior Association Football team, and were founded in 1908. In the 1920s they became the first club to win the English League Championship three times in a row, a feat only matched by Arsenal F.C, Liverpool FC and Manchester United. They currently share the McAlpine Stadium with the Giants rugby league team and play in blue and white vertical stripes. Their most famous ex-players are Denis Law of Manchester United and Scotland and Ray Wilson, a World Cup winner with England in 1966. They have been managed by Bill Shankly and Herbert Chapman.