Phil Lowe

Phil Lowe (born 19 January 1950) is an English World Cup winning former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, and coached in the 1980s. He played at representative level for Great Britain,[4] England,[3] and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hull Kingston Rovers and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, as a second-row, i.e. number 11 or 12, during the era of contested scrums,[2] and coached at club level for York F.C..[5]

For the economist, see Philip Lowe.

Phil Lowe
Personal information
Born (1950-01-19) 19 January 1950
Hull, England
Playing information
Height6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight16 st 3 lb (103 kg)
PositionSecond-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1967–83 Hull Kingston Rovers 378+32 179 0 0 537
1974–76 Manly-Warringah 72 25 0 0 75
Total 482 204 0 0 612
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1968–78 Yorkshire 4 2 0 0 6
1970–81 England 5 2 0 0 6
1970–78 Great Britain 12 0 0 0 0
Coaching information
Club
Years Team Gms W D L W%
≤1984–≥87 York F.C.

His fellow player, Mike Stephenson described Lowe as "Phil had a magnificent physique. He had a high leg movement and the ability to stride out of a tackle. A giant of a man and a brilliant exponent of a forward running out wide in the centre areas".[7]

Background

Lowe was born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, he later became a landlord, running several pubs around the Hull and East Riding area, and was also involved in property investment,[7] as of 2011, Phil Lowe is the landlord of the Shakespeare public house, 9 Baxtergate, Hedon.

Playing career

Phil Lowe played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 8–7 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1967–68 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1967–68 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 14 October 1967, and played left-second-row in the 7–8 defeat by Leeds in the 1980–81 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1980–81 season at Fartown, Huddersfield on Saturday 8 November 1980.

Whilst playing for Hull Kingston Rovers, Lowe helped Great Britain to victory in the 1972 World Cup Final. His 26 tries in the 1972/73 season, was a club record scoring feat by a Hull Kingston Rovers forward, beating William Sandham's 25-tries scored in the 1912–13 season.[8] He was Hull Kingston Rovers's 'Player of the Season' in both 1968/69 and 1972/73.[9]

In 1974, Lowe was lured to Australia by Manly-Warringah secretary Ken Arthurson to play for the two-time defending Sydney premiers. There he joined fellow Great Britain international Mal Reilly, and hard hitting local junior Terry Randall in what was one of the strongest back rows in the Sydney premiership. He played three seasons in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, including, their victory in the 1976 NSWRFL season's Grand Final over Parramatta, scoring his team's only try of the match. Among his teammates that day included Australian internationals Graham Eadie, Russel Gartner, Bob Fulton, and Terry Randall as well as fellow Englishmen Gary Stephens and Steve "Knocker" Norton.

In three seasons with the Sea Eagles, Lowe played 72 games and scored 25 tries.

After finishing with Manly,[10] Lowe played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 10–5 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1979–80 Challenge Cup Final during the 1979–80 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 3 May 1980, in front of a crowd of 95,000, and played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in the 9–18 defeat by Widnes in the 1980–81 Challenge Cup Final during the 1980–81 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 2 May 1981, in front of a crowd of 92,496.

Lowe played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 7–8 defeat by Leeds in the 1980–81 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1980–81 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 8 November 1980.

Lowe played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 11-7 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1981 Premiership Final during the 1980–81 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 16 May 1981, in front of a crowd of 29,448

Lowe played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 26–11 victory over St. Helens in the 1977 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1977–78 season at Craven Park, Hull on Tuesday 13 December 1977, and played right-second-row, i.e. number 12, in the 3–13 defeat by Hull F.C. in the 1979 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1979–80 season at the Boulevard, Hull on Tuesday 18 December 1979.

Lowe played left-second-row, i.e. number 11, in Hull Kingston Rovers' 4–12 defeat by Hull F.C. in the 1981–82 John Player Trophy Final during the 1981–82 season at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 23 January 1982. His testimonial match at Hull Kingston Rovers took place in 1981.

Coaching career

He retired from playing in 1983, and began a spell coaching at York F.C., assisting them to both promotion and a place in the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.[7] Lowe also undertook the role as a director of Hull Kingston Rovers. In 1995, he was the manager of England's Rugby League World Cup team.[2]

References
  1. RL Record Keepers' Club
  2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "Coach Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  6. Ulyatt, Michael E. (1983). Hull Kingston Rovers – A Centenary History 1883–1983 (1st ed.). North Ferriby: Lockington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 140. ISBN 0-905490-24-X.
  7. Paul Fletcher and Phil Harlow. "When Great Britain won the World Cup". BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2011.
  8. Ulyatt, Michael E. (1983). Hull Kingston Rovers – A Centenary History 1883–1983 (1st ed.). North Ferriby: Lockington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 113. ISBN 0-905490-24-X.
  9. Ulyatt, Michael E. (1983). Hull Kingston Rovers – A Centenary History 1883–1983 (1st ed.). North Ferriby: Lockington Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 110. ISBN 0-905490-24-X.
  10. Eraofthebiff.com
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