Christopher Sanderson
Christopher "Chris" Sanderson (27 July 1954[1] – 24 April 1977) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s. He played at club level for York Juniors and Leeds, as a stand-off, or scrum-half, i.e. number 6, or 7.[2]
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Christopher D. Sanderson | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | 27 July 1954 York, England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Died | 24 April 1977 (aged 22) Salford, England | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Position | Stand-off, Scrum-half | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: therhinos.co.uk |
Playing career
County Cup Final appearances
Chris Sanderson was an interchange/substitute in Leeds' 15-11 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1975 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1975–76 season at Headingley Stadium on Saturday 15 November 1975, and was an interchange/substitute in the 16-12 victory over Featherstone Rovers in the 1976 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1976–77 season at Headingley Stadium on Saturday 16 October 1976.
Club career
Chris Sanderson's Leeds début came against Halifax on 8 September 1971, and he played in the Challenge Cup matches during the 1974–75 season against Bradford Northern and Salford, and the semi-final defeat by Warrington.
Death
Incident
During Leeds' match (with the score at 5-2 to Leeds, subsequently abandoned, and not replayed) against Salford at the Willows on Sunday 24 April 1977, Chris Sanderson collapsed following a tackle in the eighth minute, he died later that day at a nearby hospital.[2]
Testimonial match
Leeds' 1976–77 Challenge Cup victory was dedicated to Chris Sanderson, and his wife Sally's first guest invited into the Leeds dressing room. Chris Sanderson's testimonial match at Leeds on the Thursday 12 May 1977, was a match between Leeds and Great Britain, it was attended by 11,000 people and raised £7,000 for his family (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £59,830 in 2013).[3]
References
- "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- "Profile at therhinos.co.uk". therhinos.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
- "Measuring Worth - Relative Value of UK Pounds". Measuring Worth. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.