Harold Wagstaff (1891 - 1939, born in Holmfirth, West Yorkshire) was an English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. He played as a centre-threequarter and was nicknamed the Prince of Centres.
Wagstaff's first professional game, for Huddersfield in 1906, was at the age of 15 years and 175 days. He was thus the second youngest player, after Harold Edmondson, to play professional rugby league.
His career lasted for 19 years until his retirement in 1925. In 1908 at the age of 17 he was chosen to play for Great Britain against the first ever touring Australian side: the First Kangaroos.
By 1912 he was the captain of Huddersfield and later, in 1914 and 1920, went on to be captain of Great Britain during their tours of Australia and New Zealand[1].
During his career as the captain of the Huddersfield team, known as The Team of all The Talents, he led them to victory in the Rugby League Challenge Cup, the Championship Trophy, the Yorkshire Cup, and the Yorkshire League in 1915. They thus became one of only three teams ever to win All Four Cups, the others being Hunslet (1908) and Swinton (1928).
In 1988 Harold Wagstaff was inducted into the British Rugby League Hall of Fame.
He was one of five famous players to feature on a set of British stamps issued in 1995 to commemorate the centenary of Rugby League.
References
- ^ Deryck Marshall Schreuder, Stuart Ward (2008). Australia's empire. Oxford University Press. pp. 353. ISBN 0199273731, 9780199273737. http://books.google.com/books?id=FE9rJDRTZ1MC&printsec=frontcover.
External links
- Harold Wagstaff at rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk
- International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
- The Legend of Rorke's Drift - Wagstaff's account of the 1914 Australia game.
- Virtual Rugby League Hall of Fame - Harold Wagstaff
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