John Duggan (rugby)

John "Johnny" Duggan (birth registered first ¼ 1929[1]) is an English former rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Wakefield RFC, as a wing, i.e. number 11 or 14, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Yorkshire, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity (Heritage № 569), as a wing, i.e. number 2 or 5.[2]

John Duggan

Personal information
Full name	John Duggan
Born	first ¼ 1929 (age 91–92) Wakefield district, England
Playing information
Height	5 ft 9 in (175 cm)
Weight	13 st 7 lb (86 kg)
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1945–47 Wakefield RFC
Rugby league
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1947–≥49 Wakefield Trinity 108 70 0 0 210 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P May 1949 Yorkshire ≥1

Background

Johnny Duggan's birth was registered in Wakefield district, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

At the age of 13, Duggan played Stand-Off/Fly-half, and captained St Austin's school but he didn't play any further rugby until leaving school at 16 when he joined Wakefield RFC as a wing. In the 1945/46 season, he scored three tries in four appearances. The following season saw fourteen tries in twenty-two games. the 1947/48 season was his last amateur season, he played three games in 1947 scoring two tries.

He signed for Wakefield Trinity at Christmas 1947 when he was 18. In his first full season for Trinity, he made 28 appearances and scored seventeen tries, four of them in one game against the Featherstone Rovers.

The Wakefield Express described how he became a firm favourite with the Wakefield Trinity crowd for

"his strong running, elusiveness and never say die temperament"

In September 1949, he was selected to play for Yorkshire but had to withdraw having broken his nose in a game against St. Helens.[3]

County honours

Johnny Duggan played right wing, i.e. number 2, in Yorkshire's 3–12 defeat by Lancashire in the 1949 County Championship Final during the 1948–49 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Tuesday 3 May 1949, in front of a crowd of 7,000.[4]

County Cup Final

Johnny Duggan played right wing, i.e. number 2, in Wakefield Trinity's 17–3 victory over Keighley in the 1951 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 27 October 1951.[5]

Johnny Duggan emigrated to New Zealand in the early 1950s and began playing rugby union again, and on Saturday 19 July 1952 the Wakefield Express carried the headline, "Johnny Duggan to tour with New Zealanders?", in the article Johnny Duggan stated "I have filled in a form for reinstatement in a rugby union club and the Wanganui officials are backing me up. If it comes through there is every likelihood of seeing me in England with the New Zealand touring team next season – at least, that is what the locals says who have been very impressed with my displays in practice",[6] however he did not participate in the 1953–54 New Zealand rugby union tour of Britain, Ireland, France and North America.

References

1. "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
2. Lindley, John (1960). Dreadnoughts – A HISTORY OF Wakefield Trinity F. C. 1873 – 1960. John Lindley Son & Co Ltd.
3. Wakefield Express – 24 September 1949
4. Rugby Football League (3 May 1949). Rugby League County Championship Match – Yorkshire v. Lancashire. Fawcett Greenwood & Co. Well Lane, Halifax. ISBN n/a
5. Hoole, Les (2004). Wakefield Trinity RLFC – FIFTY GREAT GAMES. Breedon Books. ISBN 1-85983-429-9
6. Wakefield Express – 19 July 1952

External links

• Search for "Duggan" at rugbyleagueproject.org