Tommy Harris (rugby)

Percival Thomas Harris (5 June 1927 – 27 September 2006), also known by the nickname of "Bomber",[3] was a Welsh rugby union and World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached rugby league in the 1960s and 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Newbridge RFC, as a hooker, and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain winning the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and Wales, and at club level for Hull F.C. winning the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy, as a hooker,[1] he remained at Hull F.C. for his entire playing career, ultimately becoming an inductee in the club's Hall of Fame, he also set the record for most test matches played for Great Britain of any hooker,[4] and coached at club level for York.

For the English rugby union and rugby league footballer of the 1910s and 1920s, for Cornwall (RU), Redruth R.F.C., England (RL), and Rochdale Hornets, see Thomas Harris (rugby).

Tommy Harris
Personal information
Full namePercival Thomas Harris
Born5 June 1927
Crumlin, Wales
Died27 September 2006(2006-09-27) (aged 79)
York, England
Playing information
Rugby union
Positionhooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–49 Newbridge
Rugby league
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1950–62 Hull F.C. 444 56 2 0 172
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
1954–58 GB tour games 22 9 0 0 15
1954 GB tour trial 1 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1962–73 York
Source: [1][2]

Background

Harris was born in Crumlin, in Monmouthshire, and he died aged 79 in York, North Yorkshire, England.

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 FC, 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 hooker in Hull FC'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, in front of a crowd of 79,811,[8] and played hooker, and was man of the match winning the Lance Todd Trophy in the 5-38 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1959–60 Challenge Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773.[9]

During the 1959–60 season the Australian national team toured Europe, and Harris was selected play for Great Britain against them. Harris played hooker in Hull FC's 14-15 defeat by Featherstone Rovers in the 1959 Yorkshire County Cup Final during at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 31 October 1959, in front of a crowd of 23,983. Later Harris played for Great Britain in the 1960 World Cup.

Harris played over 400 games for Hull FC, in the position of hooker, up to his retirement in 1962, when he became a coach of York.

Coaching career

Harris coached the York club for 11 years,[3] and was also a director of York Rugby League Football Club from 1966 until 1987.

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. Gone North Volume 1 by Robert Gate page 72 ISBN 0951119001
  3. "Profile at hullfc.com (archived by web.archive.org)". hullfc.com. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. "Great Britain Hooker Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. Past players at hullfc.com
  6. Bill Hopkins at hullfc.com
  7. "Percival Thomas Harris". Yorkshire Post. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  8. "1958-1959 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  9. "A complete history of Hull FC's Challenge Cup finals". Hull Daily Mail. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
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