Name Tommy Harris | Role Rugby | |
Died September 27, 2006, York, United Kingdom | ||
Percival Thomas "Tommy" Harris (1927 — 2006), was a British professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, and 1960s. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played for English club Hull, where he remained for his entire playing career, ultimately becoming an inductee in the club's Hall of Fame. Nicknamed "Bomber", with Great Britain he won the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and also set the record for most test matches for Great Britain of any hooker. With Hull, Harris won the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy. He later coached York.
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Background
Harris was born on 5 June 1927 at Crumlin in Monmouthshire, and played rugby union with Newbridge.
Playing career
In 1949 four players left the Newbridge club to play professional rugby league football in the 1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season: Harris and Bill Hopkins to Hull, Granville James to Hunslet, and Glyn Meredith to Wakefield Trinity. He went on to gain selection to play international matches for Wales as well. Harris was selected to play for Great Britain in the inaugural Rugby League World Cup, the 1954 tournament.
Harris played hooker 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, in front of a crowd of 79,811, and played hooker, and was man of the match winning the Lance Todd Trophy in the 5-38 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1960 Challenge Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773.
During the 1959–60 season the Australian national team toured Europe, and Harris was selected play for Great Britain against them. Harris played hooker in Hull's 14-15 defeat by Featherstone Rovers in the 1959 Yorkshire County Cup Final during at Headingley Rugby Stadium, Leeds on Saturday 31 October 1959, in front of a crowd of 23,983. Later Harris played for Great Britain in the 1960 World Cup.
Harris played over 400 games for Hull, in the position of hooker, up to his retirement in 1962, when he became a coach of York.
Post playing
Harris coached the York club for 11 years, and was also a director of York Rugby League Football Club from 1966 until 1987. He died in York at the age of 79 on 27 September 2006.