Austin J. Rhodes (25 February 1937 – 12 February 2019) was an English

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winning professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 11 ...

footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and

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ed in the 1970s. He played at representative level for

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, and at club level for St Helens (two spells),

Leigh Leigh may refer to: Places In England Pronounced : * Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan ** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency) * Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Pronounced : * Leigh, Dorset * Leigh, Gloucestershire * Leigh, Kent * Leigh, Staf ...

and Swinton as a

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-kicking or , and coached at club level for Swinton and

Pilkington Recs The Recs Rugby Football Club is an amateur rugby league team based in St Helens, Merseyside. History In 1949 a group of Pilkington Glass employees submitted an application to the Pilkington Recreation Club Committee at Grove Street to form a ...

Background

Austin Rhodes' birth was registered in St Helens,

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancash ...

, England, and he was a pupil at St Austin's School in

Thatto Heath Thatta ( sd, ٺٽو; ) is a city in the Pakistani province of Sindh. Thatta was the medieval capital of Sindh, and served as the seat of power for three successive dynasties. Thatta's historic significance has yielded several monuments in and ...

Playing career

International honours

Austin Rhodes won

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s for

while at St Helens in the

1957 Rugby League World Cup The second Rugby League World Cup was held in Australia in 1957. As before a group stage was held first, with matches being held at locations in Sydney and Brisbane. The 1957 World Cup marked the 50th anniversary of rugby league in Australia bu ...

against New Zealand, in the

1960 Rugby League World Cup The 1960 Rugby League World Cup was the third staging of the tournament and the first Rugby League World Cup to be held in Great Britain. The same format as used in 1957 was used, with a group stage leading to a final table. The 1960 World Cup ...

against France (2- tries) and Australia (2-

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), and in 1961 against New Zealand.

Championship final appearances

Austin Rhodes played , and scored 10-

s in St. Helens' 44-22 victory over

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in the

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Final during the 1958–59 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 16 May 1959.

County league appearances

Austin Rhodes played in St. Helens' victory in the Lancashire League during the 1959–60 season and 1968–69 season.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Austin Rhodes played , and scored 2-

s in St. Helens 13-2 victory over Halifax in the 1955–56 Challenge Cup Final during the 1955–56 season at

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on Saturday 28 April 1956, in front of a crowd of 79,341, and played , and scored 3-

s and 2-

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s in the 12-6 victory over

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in the 1960–61 Challenge Cup Final during the 1960–61 season at

on Saturday 13 May 1961, in front of a crowd of 94,672.

County Cup Final appearances

Austin Rhodes played in St. Helens' 3-10 defeat by

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham ...

in the 1956–57 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1956–57 season at

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on Saturday 20 October 1956, played , and scored 2-

s in the 4-5 defeat by

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

in the 1959–60 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at

on Saturday 31 October 1959, played , and scored 1-

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, and 3-

s in the 15-9 victory over Swinton in the 1960–61 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1960–61 season at

on Saturday 29 October 1960, played , and scored 1-

, and 5-

s in the 25-9 victory over Swinton in the 1961–62 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1961–62 season at

on Saturday 11 November 1961, played in

's 4-15 defeat by St. Helens in the 1963–64 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1963–64 season at

Knowsley Road Knowsley Road in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside, was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For a period, the venue also hoste ...

, St. Helens on Saturday 26 October 1963, and played in St. Helens' 30-2 victory over

in the 1968–69 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1968–69 season at

on Friday 25 October 1968.

Tour matches

Austin Rhodes played , and scored 1-

, and 7-

s in St. Helens 44-2 victory over Australia in the 1956-57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France during the 1956–57 season at

, St. Helens on Saturday 24 November 1956, played , and scored 1-

s in St. Helens 2-15 defeat by Australia in the 1959-60 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France during the 1959–60 season at

, St. Helens on Saturday 10 October 1959.

Genealogical information

Austin Rhodes' marriage to Marlene L. ( née May) was registered during third ¼ 1963 in St. Helens district. They had children; Martyn J. Rhodes (birth registered during first ¼ in

Prescot Prescot is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, it lies about to the east of Liverpool city centre. At the 2001 Census, the c ...

district), and Karen L. Rhodes (birth registered during fourth ¼ in

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historically in Lancashire, it is on the northern bank of the River Mersey where the estuary narrows to form th ...

district). Rhodes died on 12 February 2019, aged 81.

References

External links

*(archived by web.archive.org
Saints slaughter Kangaroos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, Austin 1937 births 2019 deaths English rugby league coaches English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players Leigh Leopards players Pilkington Recs coaches Rugby league centres Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league halfbacks Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside St Helens R.F.C. players Swinton Lions coaches Swinton Lions players