Idris Towill

Idris Arthur Towill (12 November 1909 – 21 September 1988) was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Welsh Schoolboys and Glamorgan and at club level for Bridgend RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Huddersfield, Keighley and Oldham (Heritage No. 394) (World War II guest during the 1941–42 season), as a centre or stand-off.[1][3][4][5]

Idris Arthur Towill
Personal information
Full nameIdris Towill
Born(1909-11-12)12 November 1909
Bridgend district, Wales
Died21 September 1988(1988-09-21) (aged 78)
unknown
Playing information
Rugby union
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤Jan 1931–Jan 31 Bridgend RFC
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
≤Jan 1931–≤Jan 31 Glamorgan
Rugby league
PositionCentre, Stand-off
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Jan 1931–Nov 1936 Huddersfield 94 20 0 0 60
Nov 1936–Apr 46 Keighley 271 55 0 0 165
1941/42 → Oldham (guest) 1 0 0 0 0
Total 366 75 0 0 225
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1932 Wales 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2]

Background

Idris Towill's birth was registered in Bridgend district, Wales,[6] and he died aged 78.

Early career

A schoolboy international for Wales at rugby union, Towill captained his local rugby union team Bridgend and made four appearances for Glamorgan County before switching codes to rugby league when he signed for Huddersfield in January 1931.[7][8]

Rugby league career

Huddersfield

Towill played 94 matches for Huddersfield, scoring 20 tries, between 1931 and 1936 including a Challenge Cup final appearance in the 1935 final at Wembley Stadium on 4 May 1935. Towill played at right-centre and scored Huddersfield's first try in the 8–11 defeat by Castleford.[9] While at Huddersfield, Towill won a single cap for Wales in a 2–19 defeat by England at the Willows, Salford on 27 January 1932; originally selected to play at centre, Towill played the game at stand-off due to a pre-match injury to selected stand-off Ivor Davies.[10]

Keighley

In November 1936 Towill signed for Keighley where he played 271 games, scoring 55 tries, until injury ended his career in 1946.[8][11] A second Challenge Cup final appearance was made for Keighley in the 5–18 defeat by Widnes at Wembley in the 1937 final on 8 May 1937.[8]

The end of his career was marked by a joint benefit match with fellow Keighley stalwart, Norman Foster, on 14 May 1946. Towil's select XIII beat Foster's select XIII 41–40.[12]

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. Lund, Brian (1998). Daring to Dream. p. 57. ISBN 1 900138 24 7.
  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. "Huddersfield v Keighley Match Programme Monday 24 April 1939" (PDF). rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  5. "Statistics at orl-heritagetrust.org.uk". orl-heritagetrust.org.uk. 31 December 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2020.
  6. "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. "New Huddersfield Player". Yorkshire Evening Post (12, 571). 15 January 1931. p. 10 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. "Rugby League Cup for Castleford". Yorkshire Post (27, 386). 6 May 1935. p. 30 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. "The first rugby try-out". Leeds Mercury (28, 764). 28 January 1932. p. 9 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. "Keighley sign Towill". Leeds Mercury (30, 261). 23 November 1936. p. 11 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. "untitled". Yorkshire Post (30, 805). 15 May 1946. p. 3 – via British Newspaper Archive.
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