George Bennett (rugby)

For other people named George Bennet, see George Bennet (disambiguation).
George Bennet
Personal information
Full name George Henry Bennett[1]
Born (1913-07-08)8 July 1913
Forden, Wales
Died 31 August 1970(1970-08-31) (aged 57)
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1929–30 Weston-super-Mare
Rugby league
Position centre, stand-off/five-eighth, scrum-half/halfback
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1930–37 Wigan 232 101 5 313
1937–≥45 Bradford Northern 151
Total 383 101 5 0 313
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1935–36 Wales 3 2 0 0 6
Source: rugbyleagueproject.org

George Henry Bennett (8 July 1913[2] – 31 August 1970) born in Forden, was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s, playing at club level rugby union (RU) for Weston-super-Mare RFC, and playing at representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Wigan and Bradford Northern as a centre, stand-off/five-eighth, or scrum-half/halfback, i.e. number 3 or 4, 6, or 7.[3]

Rugby union career

Born in Newport, Wales, Bennett started his career as a rugby union player, joining Weston-super-Mare in 1929. He left Wales due to the racism of the Welsh Rugby Union preventing him from playing for the national team,[4] and signed for rugby league side Wigan in November 1930.[1]

Rugby league career

Wigan

Bennett played stand-off/five-eighth in Wigan's 15–3 victory over Salford in the Championship final during the 1933–34 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934.[5] He also played stand-off/five-eighth in Wigan's 30-27 victory over France at Central Park, Wigan, on Saturday 10 March 1934.[6] Bennett played centre, i.e. number 4, and scored a try in Wigan's 12-21 defeat by Salford in the 1934 Lancashire Cup final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934. In December 1937, after losing his place as a first team regular, he joined Bradford Northern.[1]

Bradford Northern

Bennett played 151 games for Bradford, including the final of the 1944 Challenge Cup win against Wigan.[1]

International honours

Bennett won three caps for Wales (RL) in 1935–1936 while at Wigan,[7] becoming the first black man to represent a British national team at rugby league.

Note

George Bennet's surname is variously spelt with two T's as Bennett, or with a single T as Bennet.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Morris, Graham (2005). Wigan Rugby League Football Club: 100 Greats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. p. 19. ISBN 978-0-7524-3470-4.
  2. ↑ "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 1 January 2016.
  3. ↑ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 108–114. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
  4. ↑ "The struggle and the scrum". International Socialism. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. ↑ "1933–1934 Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "1934 Tour Match: Wigan 30 France 27". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. ↑ "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

External links

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