John Gray (English sportsman)

John Denis Gray (born 9 October 1953)[1] is an English cricketer, rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s. He played cricket for Warwickshire and Marylebone Cricket Club, as a left-hand bat, and right-arm medium-fast bowler, playing representative rugby union (RU) for England (7s), and at club level for Coventry R.F.C., as a Hooker, i.e. number 2, and representative rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wigan, North Sydney Bears (two spells) and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles as a round the corner style goal-kicking prop, hooker, second-row or loose forward, i.e. number 8 or 10, 9, 11 or 12, or 13, during the era of contested scrums.[1]

John Gray
Personal information
Full nameJohn Denis Gray
Born (1953-10-09) 9 October 1953
Meriden, Warwickshire, England
Playing information
Rugby union
PositionHooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
19??–73 Coventry
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1973 England 7s
Rugby league
PositionProp, Hooker, Second-row, Loose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1973–75 Wigan 60 6 122 0 262
1975–77 North Sydney 44 5 112 0 259
1978–80 Manly-Warringah 50 4 68 0 148
1981–83 North Sydney 44 5 96 0 209
Total 198 20 398 0 878
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1975 England 3 0 4 0 8
1974 Great Britain 8 1 18 1 40
Source: [1][2][3][4]

Background

Gray was born in Meriden, Warwickshire, England on 9 October 1953. He was a pupil at Woodlands Comprehensive School, Coventry.

Career

He represented England (RU) in the 1973 International Seven-A-Side Tournament.

Gray switched to rugby league with English club Wigan, and played at prop, scoring 4 conversions in their 19-9 victory over Salford in the 1973 Lancashire County Cup Final during the 1973–74 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, on Saturday 13 October 1973.[5] Gray won caps for England (RL) while at Wigan in 1975 against France, and Wales, in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against France,[2] and won caps for Great Britain (RL) while at Wigan in 1974 against France (sub) (2 matches), Australia (2 matches), Australia (sub), and New Zealand (3 matches).[3] Gray was one of the first players to introduce the now routine round-the-corner style of goal kicking to Australia, he won the 1976 Amco Cup 'superstar' prize for player of the competition, he was the 1982 Dally M Award winning hooker, a series of broken forearms, and constant back pain ended his career in 1983.

John Gray was named on the bench in the North Sydney Bears Team of the Century.

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gollark: This probably does imply regular determinism.

See also

References
  1. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  2. "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  4. Yesterday's Hero
  5. "1973-1974 Lancashire Cup Final". wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
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