John Daly (rugby)

John Christopher Daly (12 December 1917 – 10 October 1988) was an Irish rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Ireland and Munster Rugby, at invitational level for Barbarian F.C., and at club level for Cobh Pirates RFC, Cork Constitution and London Irish, as a prop, i.e. number 1 or 3, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Other Nationalities and British Empire XIII, and at club level for Huddersfield and the Featherstone Rovers, as a prop, i.e. number 8 or 10, during the era of contested scrums.[3] When Jack Daly ran onto the playing field he used to do a double somersault, and before international matches he would do double back-somersaults to confirm his fitness.[4]

John Daly
Personal information
Full nameJohn Christopher Daly
Born12 December 1917
Cobh, Ireland
Died10 October 1988(1988-10-10) (aged 70)
Chertsey, England
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Cobh Pirates RFC
Cork Constitution
London Irish
Total 0 0 0 0 0
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Barbarian F.C. ≥1
Munster Rugby ≥1
1947–48 Ireland 7 1 0 0 3
Rugby league
PositionProp
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1948–51 Huddersfield 83 6 0 18
1951–53 Featherstone Rovers 46 1 0 3
Total 129 7 0 0 21
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1949 British Empire XIII 1 0 0 0 0
1950–53 Other Nationalities 7 0 0 0 0
Source: [1][2]

Background

John Daly was born in Cobh, County Cork, Ireland, he served as a signaller with the London Irish Rifles in North Africa, and Italy during World War II, he was involved in the Battle of Monte Cassino,[4] and he died aged 70 in Chertsey, Surrey, England.

Playing career

Club career

Daly changed rugby football codes from rugby union to rugby league when he transferred to Huddersfield during 1948.[5] He played left-prop, i.e. number 8, in Huddersfield's 2-20 defeat by Wigan in the Championship Final during the 1949–50 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 13 May 1950.[6]

Daly played right-prop, i.e. number 10, in Huddersfield's 4-11 defeat by Bradford Northern in the 1949–50 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1949–50 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 29 October 1949.

In September 1951, he transferred from Huddersfield to the Featherstone Rovers,[7] he played right-prop, i.e. number 10, in the Featherstone Rovers' 12-18 defeat by Workington Town in the 1951–52 Challenge Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 19 April 1952, in front of a crowd of 72,093.

Representative honours

Daly won caps in rugby union for Ireland in 1947 against France, England, Scotland, and Wales, and in 1948 against England, Scotland, and Wales.

In rugby league, he represented British Empire XIII in 1949 against France, and won caps for Other Nationalities (RL) in 1950 against France (2 matches), in 1951 against Wales, and England, in 1952 against England, and France, and in 1953 against Wales.

Honoured by Rugby League Ireland

On 25 March 2004 footballer were inducted into Rugby League Ireland's inaugural Hall of Fame at the Rugby League Heritage Centre in Huddersfield, they were; John "Jack" Daly (Huddersfield/Featherstone Rovers), Robert "Bob" Kelly (Keighley/Wakefield Trinity/Batley), Seamus McCallion (Halifax/Leeds/Bramley), Thomas "Tom" McKinney, (Salford/Warrington/St. Helens), Terry O'Connor (Salford/Wigan Warriors/Widnes Vikings), Patrick "Paddy" Reid (Huddersfield/Halifax).[8]

References
  1. "Statistics at espnscrum.com (RU)". espnscrum.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. Bailey, Ron (1956). The Official History Of Featherstone Rovers R.L.F.C.. Wakefield Express. ASIN: B00O1TLDPC
  4. "Profile at london-irish.co.uk". london-irish.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  5. "Rugby League: Good Inter-County Matches". The Manchester Guardian. 28 August 1948. p. 7.
  6. "1949–1950 Championship Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  7. 1952 Fartown Rugby League Yearbook (PDF). H.C. & A.C. Supporters Club. p. 28.
  8. "Coach gets a double". Evening Chronicle. 25 March 2004. Retrieved 1 January 2009.
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