Mick Sullivan

Michael Sullivan (12 January 1934 – 5 April 2016), also known by the nickname of "Sully", was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1970s. He set the record for the most appearances for the Great Britain Lions with 46. This record has been matched (by Garry Schofield) but never overtaken. He also holds the record for the most rugby league test match tries by a player of any nationality with 44.[1][2][3]

For the Australian rugby league footballer, see Michael Sullivan (rugby league).

Mick Sullivan
Personal information
Full nameMichael Sullivan
Born(1934-01-12)12 January 1934
Pudsey, England
Died5 April 2016(2016-04-05) (aged 82)
Wakefield, England
Playing information
PositionWing
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1952–57 Huddersfield 117 93 0 279
1957–61 Wigan 125 84 0 252
1961–63 St. Helens 82 32 0 96
1963–65 York 26 7 0 21
1965–66 Dewsbury 40 2 0 6
Total 390 218 0 0 654
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1954–63 Great Britain 46 41 0 123
1955–62 England 3 2 0 6
1957 GB & France 1 1 0 3
1955–61 Yorkshire 14 13 0 39
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
1970 Batley

Background

Mick Sullivan was born in Pudsey, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, he worked a pipefitter, and he died aged 82 in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

Sullivan signed with Huddersfield in 1952 as an 18-year-old right wing. He made his début for Great Britain during the 1954 World Cup in France against the Australian team. Sullivan went on to appear in the final and help Great Britain to claim the first ever World Cup. He was selected to play for England while at Huddersfield in 1955 against Other Nationalities, and in 1956 against France. Mick Sullivan also represented Great Britain while at Huddersfield between 1952 and 1956 against France (2 non-Test matches).[7]

Sullivan won caps for Great Britain while at Huddersfield in 1954 against France (2 matches), New Zealand, and Australia, in 1955 against New Zealand (3 matches), in 1956 against Australia (3 matches), in 1957 against France (3 matches), France, Australia, New Zealand, while at Wigan against France (2 matches), in 1958 against France, Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1959 against France (2 matches) and Australia (3 matches), in 1960 against France (3 matches), France, New Zealand and Australia, while at St. Helens in 1961 against France, and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1962 against France (3 matches), Australia (3 matches), and New Zealand, and while at York in 1963 against Australia (World Cup 1954 3-caps, 1-try, 1957 3-caps, 3-tries, 1960 3-caps, 1-try).

Sullivan was signed by Wigan for a record fee of £9,500 in 1957 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £480,900 in 2013).[8]

Mick Sullivan represented Great Britain & France in the 37–31 victory over New Zealand at Carlaw Park, Auckland on 3 July 1957.

He scored a try against Australia in 1960, when he became the only British player to win the World Cup twice.

He was later signed by St. Helens in 1961 for a new world record fee of £11,000. (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £484,000 in 2013).[8] Sullivan played his first game for St. Helens in January 1961. While at St. Helens, Sullivan played for England in 1962 against France.

Sullivan moved to Australia and captain-coached the Junee team in the Group 9 competition in southern New South Wales for 3 years from 1966 until 1968.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Mick Sullivan played left wing, i.e. number 5, and scored a try in Wigan's 13–9 victory over Workington Town in the 1957–58 Challenge Cup Final during the 1957–58 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 10 May 1958, in front of a crowd of 66,109,[9] and played left wing, and scored a try in the 30-13 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1958–59 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,[10] and played left wing in St. Helens 12-6 victory over Wigan in the 1960–61 Challenge Cup Final during the 1960–61 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 13 May 1961, in front of a crowd of 94,672

County Cup Final appearances

Mick Sullivan played left wing, i.e. number 5, in Huddersfield's 15–8 victory over York in the 1957–58 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1957–58 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 19 October 1957,[11] played left wing, and scored a try, in St. Helens' 25–9 victory over Swinton in the 1961–62 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1961–62 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 11 November 1961, and played left wing in the 7–4 victory over Swinton in the 1962–63 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1962–63 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 27 October 1962.

Coaching career

Mick Sullivan was the coach of Batley from June 1970 to October 1970, during this period he also worked a pipefitter during the building of Fiddlers Ferry power station.

Death

It was announced on 5 April 2016 that he had died in the previous week, aged 82.[12]

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. "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. Morris, Graham (2005). Wigan Rugby League Football Club: 100 Greats. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. pp. 118–9. ISBN 978-0-7524-3470-4.
  6. Williams, Graham (2015). Sully's Way: Mick Sullivan Rugby League Legend. London League Publications Ltd. ISBN 978-1909885097.
  7. Edgar, Harry (2007). Rugby League Journal Annual 2008 Page-110. Rugby League Journal Publishing. ISBN 0-9548355-3-0
  8. "Measuring Worth – Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Wortht. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  9. "1957–1958 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  10. "1958–1959 Challenge Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  11. "Programme 'Yorkshire County Rugby League - Challenge Cup Final - 1957 - Huddersfield v. York'" (PDF). huddersfieldrlheritage.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  12. Martini, Peter (5 April 2016). "Rugby league legend and former York star Mick Sullivan dies, aged 82". York Press. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
Achievements
Preceded by
Lewis Jones		 Rugby league transfer record
Huddersfield to Wigan
1957–1959		 Succeeded by
Ike Southward
Preceded by
Ike Southward		 Rugby league transfer record
Wigan to St. Helens
1961		 Succeeded by
Ike Southward
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