John Bentley (rugby)

John Bentley (born 5 September 1966) is an English former dual-code international rugby union and rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s and 1990s. Nicknamed 'Bentos', he played club rugby union as a wing for Otley, Sale, Newcastle and Rotherham. Internationally he won 4 caps for England and toured with the British and Irish Lions in 1997, winning 2 test caps.

John Bentley
Personal information
Born (1966-09-04) 4 September 1966
Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, England
Playing information
Height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight15 st 7 lb (98 kg)
Rugby union
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Otley
198?–88 Sale
1996–98 Newcastle
Rotherham
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1988–97 England 4 1 0 0 5
1997 British and Irish Lions 2
Rugby league
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1988–92 Leeds 92+9 53 27 0 266
1992–96 Halifax 126+1 106 1 0 426
1994 Balmain Tigers 10 1 0 0 4
1998 Halifax 4+2 3 0 0 12
1999 Huddersfield 17 3 0 0 12
Total 261 166 28 0 720
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1995–96 England 5 1 0 0 4
1992–94 Great Britain 2 1 0 0 4
Source: [1][2][3]

[4]

In rugby league he played at club level for Leeds, Halifax (two spells), Balmain Tigers and Huddersfield Giants as a wing. He won 5 international caps for England, and 2 for Great Britain.[1][2][3]

Background

Bentley was born in Dewsbury, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, he currently lives in nearby Mirfield with his wife Sandy and three children. He is currently involved with Leeds Tykes community rugby programme and matchday entertainment. He is an Honorary President of the Yorkshire region of the rugby charity Wooden Spoon improving the lives of disadvantaged children and young people in Britain and Ireland, and hosts and coaches at rugby union camps across England with Sale Sharks, Newcastle Falcons, and Leeds Carnegie.

Career

Originally a rugby union player, he made his England début against Ireland in 1988 aged 21 and played on the summer tour against Australia.

After training as a policeman he switched codes from rugby union, which was then an amateur game, to rugby league, where he became a professional. He played for Leeds, before moving on to Halifax, as well as enjoying a short spell in Australia with Balmain Tigers. He played for Great Britain, and for England in the 1995 Rugby League World Cup

When rugby union became openly professional in 1995, and Bentley returned to the code, signing for Newcastle Falcons in 1996. He made 3 appearances as they won their first and so far only Premiership title in 1998.[5] He was selected for the 1997 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa, where he played in the second and third Tests. After the tour he played twice more for England at rugby union before switching back to rugby league with Huddersfield Giants.

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 27 November 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. RL Record Keepers Club
  5. "Allied Dunbar Premiership, 1997/98 / Newcastle Falcons / Player records". espnscrum.com. Archived from the original on 7 September 2014. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
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