Name Bill Drake Role Rugby league | Height 1.88 m | |
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Died October 8, 2012, Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom | ||
William "Bill" D. Drake (20 February 1931 – 8 October 2012) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, and 1960s who represented Great Britain, England, and Cumberland, and at club level played for Heworth ARLFC, Hull, Leeds, and York as a back, and later a forward, during the era of contested scrums.
Born in Workington, Bill Drake was the younger (by 10-minutes) twin brother of fellow rugby league footballer, Jim Drake.
Drake, who had already gained representative selection for Cumberland, played in Hull's 10-9 victory over Halifax in the Championship Final during the 1955–56 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 12 May 1956. He played at second-row forward in Hull's 13-30 defeat by Wigan in the 1959 Challenge Cup Final during the 1958–59 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 9 May 1959. Drake missed the 1960 Challenge Cup Final during the 1959–60 season though injury, being replaced by Mike Smith who became the first player to ever make a first team début in a Challenge Cup Final,
Drake won a cap for England while at Hull in 1962 against France, and won a cap for Great Britain while at Hull in 1962 also against France.
Drake left Hull for Leeds in 1963 for a £1,500 transfer fee (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £56,890 in 2013).
Drake played left-prop, i.e. number 8, in Leeds' 2-18 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1964 Yorkshire County Cup Final during the 1964–65 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 31 October 1964.
Drake died in York Hospital on 8 October 2012, exactly four years to the day after the death of Jim Drake his older twin brother.