Douglas Clark (rugby league)

Douglas Clark
Godfrey Phillips Cigarette card featuring Clark
Personal information
Nickname Duggy, Dougie
Born 2 May 1891[1]
Ellenborough, Cumberland, England
Died 1 February 1951 (aged 59)
Birkby, Huddersfield, England
Playing information
Position Prop, Second-row, Loose forward/Lock
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1909–27 Huddersfield 485 99 0 297
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1910–30 Cumberland 31 3 0 9
1911–20 Great Britain 11 3 0 9
1912–25 England 6 5 0 15
Source: [2]

Douglas "Duggy" Clark MM (2 May 1891 – 1 February 1951) born in Ellenborough, Cumberland, was an English rugby league footballer, wrestler and World War I veteran. He played at Prop, Second-row, or Loose forward/Lock for Huddersfield, Cumberland, England and the Great Britain national side. Clark also served in World War I on the front line in France in 1917,[3] earning the Military Medal for his deeds. He then returned to wrestling with great success, becoming World heavyweight champion. In 2005 Clark was inducted into the British Rugby League Hall of Fame.

Playing career

1910s

During the 1909–10 Northern Rugby Football Union season, Clark's first, he played in Huddersfield's 21-0 victory over Batley in the 1909 Yorkshire Cup final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 27 November 1909. The following year he played in the 2-8 loss against Wakefield Trinity in the 1910 Yorkshire Cup final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 3 December 1910.[4] During the 1911–12 Northern Rugby Football Union season the 1911–12 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain took place and Clark played in the forwards for Great Britain in two Ashes series tests matches. At the end of the season he played in Huddersfield's 13-5 victory over Wigan in the Championship final, and also played in the 22-10 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1911 Yorkshire Cup final at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Saturday 25 November 1911. During the 1912–13 season Clark played in Huddersfield's 9-5 victory over Warrington in the 1913 Challenge Cup final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds in front of a crowd of 22,754. He also scored a hat-trick of tries in his side's victory in the Championship final of 1913.

During the 1913–14 Northern Rugby Football Union season played in the 19-3 victory over Bradford Northern in the 1913 Yorkshire Cup final at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 29 November 1913. Going on the 1914 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he played for in the famous "Rorke's Drift Test" in Sydney when his side won with 11 men.[5] Clark was a member of Fartown's "Team of all talents" which won all four cups in 1915.[6] During the 1914–15 Northern Rugby Football Union season Clark played in the 31-0 victory over Hull in the 1914 Yorkshire Cup final at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 28 November 1914. During the 1914–15 Northern Rugby Football Union season Clark played in the 37-3 victory over St. Helens in the 1915 Challenge Cup final at Watersheddings, Oldham on Saturday 1 May 1915 in front of a crowd of 8,000. After that Clark joined World War I and spent time in France.

Douglas Clark played played in the 35-2 victory over Leeds in the Championship final during the 1914–15 season, played in the 2-3 defeat to Leeds in the Championship final during the 1919–20 season, and played in the 5-15 defeat to Hull Kingston Rovers in the Championship final during the 1922–23 season. Douglas Clark and played in the 21-10 victory over Wigan in the 1920 Challenge Cup final during the 1919–20 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds in front of a crowd of 14,000. Douglas Clark played in the 14-8 victory over Dewsbury in the 1919 (Spring) Yorkshire Cup final during the 1918–19 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 17 May 1919, played in the 24-5 victory over Leeds in the 1919 (Autumn) Yorkshire Cup final during the 1919–20 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 29 November 1919.

1920s

Clark was selected to go on the 1920 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia. Clark played in the 4-10 loss against Hull in the 1923 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1923–24 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 24 November 1923, played in the 0-2 defeat by Dewsbury in the 1925 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1925–26 season at Belle Vue, Wakefield on Saturday 28 November 1925, and played in the 10-3 victory over Wakefield Trinity in the 1926 Yorkshire Cup final during the 1926–27 season at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Wednesday 1 December 1926, the initial match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 27 November 1926 had been postponed due to fog.

Clark played in Huddersfield's victories in the Yorkshire County League during the 1911–12 season, 1912–13 season, 1913–14 season, 1914–15 season, 1919–20 season, and 1921–22 season. By the time of his retirement from football in 1927 he had helped his club to three Challenge Cups and seven Yorkshire Cups.[7]

References

  1. ↑ Ray French's 100 great Rugby League players. London: MacDonald/Queen Anne. 1989. ISBN 978-0-356-17578-2.
  2. ↑ "Douglas Clark". Huddersfield Rugby League Heritage. Retrieved 27 September 2014.
  3. ↑ Collins, Tony (2006). Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain. UK: Taylor & Francis. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-415-39614-1. Retrieved 15 February 2011.
  4. ↑ Hoole, Les (2004). Wakefield Trinity RLFC - FIFTY GREAT GAMES. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-429-9
  5. ↑ "Kangaroos training for test". The Sydney Morning Herald. Australia. 1933-11-09. p. 12. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  6. ↑ Ledger, John (2005-10-02). "Fartown legend Clark joins RL's Hall of Fame". Yorkshire Post. Europe Intelligence Wire. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
  7. ↑ examiner.co.uk (2009-07-20). "Fartown rugby ace's niece in memorabilia row". Huddersfield Daily Examiner. UK: Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales Limited. Retrieved 2010-01-01.

External links

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