Bert Day

Hubert "Bert" Charles Day (8 May 1908[5] – 27 June 1977) was a rugby hooker who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Salford.[2] He was awarded five caps for Wales under union rules and was part of the Welsh side that won the 1931 Five Nations Championship.[3][4] At Salford Day forged a reputation as the greatest hooker to play for the club, his record 488 appearances for the club went unbroken for over 35 years.

For other people named Bert Day, see Bert Day (disambiguation).

Bert Day
Birth nameHubert Charles Day[1]
Date of birth(1908-05-08)8 May 1908
Place of birthGriffithstown, Wales
Date of death27 June 1977(1977-06-27) (aged 69)
Place of deathSalford, England
Rugby league career
Position(s) Forward
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1931-48 Salford 488 (18)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1935-45 Wales[2] 3 (0)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Hooker
Amateur team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
Blaenavon RFC ()
Pontypool RFC ()
1927-32 Newport RFC ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1930-31 Wales[3][4] 5 (0)

Background

Bert Day was born in Griffithstown, Monmouthshire, and he died aged 69 in Salford, Greater Manchester, England.

Rugby career

Day was first selected for Wales in the 1930 Five Nations Championship in a match against Scotland at Murrayfield. Day was one of two new caps in the Welsh squad alongside Swansea's Dai Thomas. Wales lost the match 9-12, but Day was reselected for the next game of the tournament in a win over Ireland, under the captaincy of Jack Bassett. The final game of the Championship was an away game to France. The match was notoriously bad tempered with the referee forced to make multiple stoppages to reproach both packs as fist fights broke out throughout the game. Day himself was kicked in the mouth and was forced to leave the pitch to have several stitches in his lip.

Day played twice in the 1931 Five Nations Championship which Wales won after drawing against England and beating the remaining three teams. Day's final match was the second game in a victory over Scotland at the Cardiff Arms Park. Day later switched codes, 'Going North' to join Salford RLFC.

International matches played

Wales[6]

International honours

Bert Day won caps for Wales while at Salford 1935…1945 3-caps.[2]

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Bert Day played hooker in Salford's 7-4 victory over Barrow in the 1938 Challenge Cup Final during the 1937–38 season at Wembley Stadium, London, in front of a crowd of 51,243.

County Cup Final appearances

About Bert Day's time, there was Salford's 10-8 victory over Swinton in the 1931 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1931–32 season at The Cliff, Broughton, Salford on Saturday 21 November 1931, the 21-12 victory over Wigan in the 1934 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1934–35 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 20 October 1934, the 15-7 victory over Wigan in the 1935 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1935–36 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 19 October 1935, the 5-2 victory over Wigan in the 1936 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1936–37 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 17 October 1936, and played hooker in the 7-10 defeat by Wigan in the 1938 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.[7]

Les Diables Rouges

Day was one of the players who successfully toured in France with Salford in 1934, during which the Salford team earned the name "Les Diables Rouges", the seventeen players were; Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, Paddy Dalton, Bert Day, Cliff Evans, Jack Feetham, George Harris, Barney Hudson, Emlyn Jenkins, Alf Middleton, Sammy Miller, Harold Osbaldestin, Les Pearson, Gus Risman, Billy Watkins and Billy Williams.[8]

Bibliography
  • Billot, John (1974). Springboks in Wales. Ferndale: Ron Jones Publications.
  • Smith, David; Williams, Gareth (1980). Fields of Praise: The Official History of The Welsh Rugby Union. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. ISBN 0-7083-0766-3.
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References
  1. Newport RFC personal profiles Archived 17 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org (RL)". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)". espn.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. "Statistics at wru.co.uk (RU)". wru.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Archived from the original on 28 March 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  5. "Birth details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  6. Smith (1980), pg 465.
  7. "22nd October 1938: Salford 7 Wigan 10 (Lancashire Cup Final)". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.
  8. "The story of The Original Red Devils". reds.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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