John Gray (English sportsman)

John Denis Gray (born 9 October 1953)[1] is an English cricketer, rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played cricket for Warwickshire and Marylebone Cricket Club, as a left-hand bat, and right-arm medium-fast bowler, playing representative rugby union (RU) for England (7s), and at club level for Coventry R.F.C., as a Hooker, i.e. number 2, and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, North Sydney Bears (two spells) and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles as a round the corner style goal-kicking prop, hooker, second-row or loose forward, i.e. number 8 or 10, 9, 11 or 12, or 13, during the era of contested scrums.[1]

For other people with the same name, see John Gray.

John Gray
Personal information
Full nameJohn Denis Gray
Born (1953-10-09) 9 October 1953
Meriden, Warwickshire, England
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–73 Coventry
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1973 England 7s
Rugby league
PositionProp, Hooker, Second-row, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1973–75 Wigan 60 6 122 0 262
1975–77 North Sydney 44 5 112 0 259
1978–80 Manly-Warringah 50 4 68 0 148
1981–83 North Sydney 44 5 96 0 209
Total 198 20 398 0 878
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1975 England 3 0 4 0 8
1974 Great Britain 8 1 18 1 40
Source: [1][2][3][4]

Background

Gray was born in Meriden, Warwickshire, England on 9 October 1953. He was a pupil at Woodlands Comprehensive School, Coventry.

Career

He represented England (RU) in the 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament.

Gray switched to rugby league with English club Wigan, and played at prop, scoring 4 conversions in their 19-9 victory over Salford in the 1973 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, on Saturday 13 October 1973.[5] Gray won caps for England (RL) while at Wigan in 1975 against France, and Wales, in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against France,[2] and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Wigan in 1974 against France (sub) (2 matches), Australia (2 matches), Australia (sub), and New Zealand (3 matches).[3] Gray was one of the first players to introduce the now routine round-the-corner style of goal kicking to Australia, he won the 1976 Amco Cup 'superstar' prize for player of the competition, he was the 1982 Dally M Award winning hooker, a series of broken forearms, and constant back pain ended his career in 1983.

John Gray was named on the bench in the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century.

See also

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. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. Yesterday's Hero
  5. "1973-1974 Lancashire Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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