Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Brian Lawrence Gabbitas [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | c. 1935 (age 87–88) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Stand-off | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [2] |
Brian Lawrence Gabbitas (born c. 1935) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and English League XIII, and at club level for Hunslet, as a stand-off. [2]
Gabbitas made his début for Hunslet on Boxing Day 1952. [3] He went on to make 343 appearances for the club before announcing his retirement in December 1965. [4]
Gabbitas played Stand-off in Hunslet's 12-2 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1962 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1962–63 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 27 October 1962.
Gabbitas played Stand-off in Hunslet's 16-20 defeat by Wigan in the 1965 Challenge Cup Final during the 1964–65 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 8 May 1965, in front of a crowd of 89,016. [5]
Wigan's Ray Ashby, and Hunslet's Brian Gabbitas, jointly won the Lance Todd Trophy for man of the match in the 1965 Challenge Cup final, [6] it was the first time two players polled the same number of votes. [7]
Gabbitas won a cap for Great Britain while at Hunslet in 1959 against France. [2]
Gabbitas played stand-off for English League XIII while at Hunslet in the 8-26 defeat by France on Saturday 22 November 1958 at Knowsley Road, St. Helens.
The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to the annual Challenge Cup Final's man of the match. Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War. After Todd's death a fund, the Lance Todd memorial Trophy Fund, was established by Australian journalist and rugby league official Harry Sunderland. The trophy's winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers' Association present at the game. Until 1957 there was no permanent trophy, instead the winner was given a cash prize with which to buy themselves a memento. In 1956 the Red Devils Association, the official body representing ex-Salford players, decided to pay for a permanent trophy to be awarded to the winner and the first recipient of the new trophy was Jeff Stevenson in 1957. The trophy is presented at a celebratory dinner at the AJ Bell Stadium, home of the Salford Red Devils although as of 2019 no Salford player has won this award.
Alexander James Murphy OBE is an English former professional rugby league footballer, and coach of the mid to late 20th century. Known as 'Murphy the Mouth' and regarded as one of the greatest halfbacks in the history of the British game, he represented Great Britain in 27 Tests and his club career was played at three clubs, St. Helens, Leigh and Warrington. Murphy assumed a player-coach role of the last two clubs and expanded his coaching role toward the end of his playing career to include clubs such as Wigan, Salford and Huddersfield. He later returned to both Warrington and Leigh respectively as a football manager. He was the first player to captain three different clubs to victory in the Challenge Cup Final.
Eric Ashton MBE was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
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Percival Thomas Harris, also known by the nickname of "Bomber", was a Welsh rugby union and World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached rugby league in the 1960s and 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Newbridge RFC, as a hooker, and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain winning the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and Wales, and at club level for Hull F.C. winning the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy, as a hooker, he remained at Hull F.C. for his entire playing career, ultimately becoming an inductee in the club's Hall of Fame, he also set the record for most test matches played for Great Britain of any hooker, and coached at club level for York.
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