Tommy Harris (rugby)
- Not to be confused with the English rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1910s and '20s, for Cornwall (RU), Redruth R.F.C., England (RL), and Rochdale Hornets, Thomas "Tommy" Harris
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Percival Thomas Harris | |||||
| Nickname | Bomber[1] | |||||
| Born | 5 June 1927 Crumlin, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Wales, UK | |||||
| Died | 27 September 2006 (aged 79) York, North Yorkshire, England, UK | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Rugby union | ||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 19??–49 | Newbridge | |||||
| Rugby league | ||||||
| Position | Hooker | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 19??–62 | Hull | 4?? | ||||
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1952–59 | Wales | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 1954–60 | Great Britain | 25 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Coaching information | ||||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Gms | W | D | L | W% |
| York | ||||||
Percival Thomas "Tommy" Harris (1927 — 2006), was a British professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and 1960s. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played for English club Hull, where he reamined for his entire playing career, ultimately becoming an inductee in the club's Hall of Fame. Nicknamed "Bomber",[2] with Great Britain he won the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and also set the record for most test matches for Great Britain of any hooker.[3][4] With Hull, Harris won the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy. He later coached York.
Background
Harris was born on 5 June 1927 at Crumlin in Monmouthshire, and played rugby union with Newbridge.
Playing career
In 1949 four players left the Newbridge club to play professional rugby league football in the 1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season: Harris and Bill Hopkins[5][6] to Hull, Granville James to Hunslet, and Glyn Meredith to Wakefield Trinity.[7] He went on to gain selection to play international matches for Wales as well. Harris was selected to play for Great Britain in the inaugural Rugby League World Cup, the 1954 tournament.
Harris played at hooker in Hull's 13-30 defeat by Wigan in the 1959 Challenge Cup final during the 1958–59 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 9 May 1959,[8] Harris played for Hull in the 1959 Yorkshire Cup final loss against Featherstone Rovers.
During the 1959–60 season the Australian national team turned Europe and Harris was selected play for Great Britain against them. Lather that season he played in the 1960 Challenge Cup final defeat 5-38 at the hands of Wakefield Trinity at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960. He nevertheless won the Lance Todd Trophy for being named man of the match. Later that year Harris played for Great Britain in the 1960 World Cup.
Harris played over 400 games for the club, in the position of hooker, up to his retirement in 1962, when he became a coach of York.
Post playing
Harris coached the York club for 11 years,[1] and was also a director of York Rugby League Football Club from 1966 until 1987. He died in York at the age of 79 on 27 September 2006.
References
- 1 2 "Tommy Harris". hullfc.com. Hull F.C. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
- ↑ hullfc.com. "Tommy Harris". The Official Hull FC Website. Hull F.C. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ↑ "Great Britain - Players". rugbyleagueproject.org. Shawn Dollin, Andrew Ferguson and Bill Bates. Retrieved 28 July 2012.
- ↑ "International Player Records". englandrl.co.uk. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 2010.
- ↑ Past players at hullfc.com
- ↑ Bill Hopkins at hullfc.com
- ↑ "Percival Thomas Harris". yorkshirepost.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- ↑ "1958-1959 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
External links
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