Danny Brough (born 15 January 1983) is a Scottish former 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 112 ...
footballer who played as a or .
Brough started his professional career in 2002 with
Dewsbury Rams
The Dewsbury Rams are a professional English rugby league club based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire that compete in the Championship. They play their home games at the Tetley's Stadium, on Owl Lane. The Rams' main fanbase comes from their hometo ...
in the second tier before moving to
York City Knights a year later. Brough made his
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
debut in 2005 after signing for
Hull F.C.
Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull F.C., is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in West Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition and were ...
, winning the
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
final with the club in the same season. After spending a season with
Castleford Tigers
The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England, that compete in the Super League, the top-level professional rugby league club competition in the Northern Hemisphere. The club have competed i ...
in 2007's
National League One, he returned to the Super League with the
Wakefield Trinity Wildcats
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the c ...
before switching to the
Huddersfield Giants in 2010. After a second spell with Wakefield, he finished his career at
Bradford Bulls in 2021.
Brough also played at international level for
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
and
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, being eligible to play for the latter through his grandfather, and won a Scottish record 25 caps.
Background
Brough was born in
Thornhill, West Yorkshire
Thornhill is a village and former township in the unparished area of Dewsbury, Kirklees, West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, Thornhill was absorbed into County Borough of Dewsbury, Dewsbury County Boroug ...
, England.
Playing career
Domestic career
Dewsbury Rams
Brough started his playing career as a junior at Thornhill before signing for
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England, that plays in the Super League. One of the original twenty-two clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895, between 1999 and 2016 the c ...
at the age of 15.
He failed to make a first team appearance for the club and moved to
Dewsbury
Dewsbury is a minster and market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Calder and on an arm of the Calder and Hebble Navigation waterway. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Hudder ...
in the
Northern Ford Premiership
The Rugby Football League Championship Second Division was founded in 1902 and was the second tier of professional rugby league in the UK until 2003.
During the 1990s a third division was established and there is automatic promotion between ...
, making his senior début in 2002.
Seeking more regular first team opportunities, Brough requested a transfer during the 2003 season, and was subsequently sold to
National League Two side
York City Knights after two seasons at the Dewsbury Rams.
York City Knights
In 2004, Brough set new club records at York for most goals scored in a season (178), and most points scored in a season (412), helping the club reach the quarter final of the
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
,
and narrowly missing out on promotion to
National League One following a 30–34 defeat in the play-off final against
Halifax. After just two seasons he was signed by
Super League
The Super League (officially known as the Betfred Super League due to sponsorship from Betfred and legally known as Super League Europe), is the top-level of the British rugby league system. At present the league consists of twelve teams, of wh ...
side
Hull F.C.
Hull Football Club, commonly referred to as Hull or Hull F.C., is a professional rugby league football club established in 1865 and based in West Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The club plays in the Super League competition and were ...
after making 53 appearances for York.
Hull FC
Brough had a dream start at Hull, scoring four goals and a drop-goal in Hull's
2005 Challenge Cup Final win over
Leeds Rhinos
The Leeds Rhinos are a professional rugby league club in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. The club was formed in 1870 as Leeds St John's and play in the Super League, the top tier of English rugby league. They have played home matches at Headi ...
, with many claiming he was unlucky not to win the
Lance Todd Trophy. After an impressive first season, he signed a new two-year contract with the club. During the following season, Brough lost his place in the starting lineup after the arrival of new head coach
Peter Sharp
Peter Sharp (born 16 July 1954) is an Australian professional rugby league coach. He was most recently the interim coach of the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League.
Coaching career
Sharp has been the head coach of the Nort ...
, and was signed by
Castleford Tigers
The Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England, that compete in the Super League, the top-level professional rugby league club competition in the Northern Hemisphere. The club have competed i ...
for an undisclosed fee in June 2006.
Castleford Tigers
Brough played 10 games for Castleford in 2006, but was unable to prevent the team from being relegated from the Super League. He remained with Castleford in 2007 and was part of the team that won promotion from
National League One back into the Super League.
Wakefield Trinity
Following Castleford's promotion, Brough was signed by rivals Wakefield Trinity in 2008 and became a key player for the team, going on to win the
Albert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by ''Rugby Leaguer & League Express'' to honour the leading players in the Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe, who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of ...
that year. Brough, again only stayed at Wakefield for two seasons before leaving at the end of 2009 to join West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield. He made 57 appearances for Trinity scoring 468 points.
Huddersfield Giants
In March 2010, Brough was signed by
Huddersfield Giants for a fee of £30,000, and agreed to loan
Danny Kirmond
Danny Kirmond (born ) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who last played as a forward for York City Knights in the Betfred Championship. He has formerly played for England at international level.
He has played at club ...
to Wakefield until the end of the season.
He was named club captain during 2012 following the mid-season departure of
Kevin Brown.
At the end of the 2013 Super League season, Brough won the
Man of Steel award for his excellent performances throughout the season. He also became the first player ever to win a second
Albert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by ''Rugby Leaguer & League Express'' to honour the leading players in the Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe, who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of ...
.
Wakefield Trinity
Brough returned to Wakefield in 2019.
He left at the end of the 2020 season.
Bradford Bulls
In June 2020, it was announced that Brough would link up with former coach
John Kear
John Kear (born 25 November 1954) is an English professional rugby league coach who is the head coach of the Widnes Vikings in the Betfred Championship and the Wales national rugby league team. He also works as a pundit for BBC Sport and is a f ...
on a 2 year deal in the
RFL Championship
The Championship, known as the Betfred Championship for sponsorship reasons, is a professional rugby league competition. It is the Rugby Football League Championship Second Division, second-tier competition organised by the Rugby Football Lea ...
with the
Bradford Bulls. Brough announced his retirement in November 2021.
International career
Scotland
Brough played at international level for
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
, qualifying via his grandfather, making his international début in 2004 and playing in sporadic competitions and test matches.
In 2008 he was called up to the Scotland squad for the
2008 Rugby League World Cup
The 2008 Rugby League World Cup was the thirteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup since its inauguration in 1954, and the first since the 2000 tournament. The tournament was held in Australia from 26 October, culminating in the final b ...
, and was named captain for the first time. Brough's international future was thrown into question following the World Cup, as he announced his intention to switch allegiance to
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in 2009, citing a lack of opportunities to play in major tournaments with Scotland. However, Brough was not selected for England, and did not feature at international level for two years.
In 2013, Brough reverted to Scotland and captained the team during the
2013 World Cup. After the tournament, Brough was shortlisted alongside
Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams (born 3 August 1985) is a New Zealand heavyweight boxer, and a former professional rugby league and rugby union player and as of recently is working for Stan Sports. He is only the List of dual-code rugby internationals#New ...
and
Greg Inglis
Gregory Paul Inglis (born 15 January 1987), also known by the nickname of "G.I.", is a retired Australian professional rugby league footballer. His regular playing positions were Centre, Fullback, Five-eighth and Wing.
From 2011 to 2019 he pl ...
for the
RLIF International Player of the Year.
In October 2014, Brough led Scotland in the
2014 European Cup
The 2014 European Cup was an international rugby league football tournament. The tournament took place in England, Wales, France, Ireland and Scotland between 17 October and 2 November. It was announced beforehand that the winner of the tournamen ...
. The Winner of the tournament would qualify to play in the
2016 Four Nations
The 2016 Rugby League Four Nations tournament (known as the 2016 Ladbrokes Four Nations, for sponsorship purposes) was the fifth staging of the Rugby League Four Nations tournament and was played in England in October and November. The series was c ...
alongside International heavyweights Australia, England and New Zealand. He played at his best throughout the tournament, earning him the 'Player of the Tournament' award. His performances and leadership inspired the team to qualify for 2016's major international rugby league competition and win the
European Cup
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
for the first ever time. Later in the year, his performances made him the clear winner for the 'Prince of Scots' award as the best player to play in the Bravehearts' jersey that year.
Again in October and November 2015, Brough decided to play for Scotland instead of taking a long off-season break and was therefore named as the captain of the Bravehearts in their
2015 European Cup
The 2015 European Cup was an international rugby league football tournament. The tournament took place between 16 October and 7 November in Wales, France, Scotland and Ireland.
Scotland were the defending champions. Four teams competed in the 20 ...
campaign.
Five months before the 2016 Four Nations, Scotland announced Brough would captain the Bravehearts in their first tournament (other than the World Cup) against the 'big 3' international teams.
In 2017 Brough captained Scotland's squad in the
2017 Rugby League World Cup
The 2017 Rugby League World Cup was the fifteenth staging of the Rugby League World Cup tournament and took place in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea between 27 October and 2 December 2017. The tournament featured the national teams ...
. He played in the matches against Tonga and New Zealand, but was then released from the squad and sent home before their final group match, after being deemed too drunk to board a flight in Christchurch.
England
Brough was eventually called into the England squad for an
International Origin
International Origin was an annual series of rugby league football matches between England national rugby league team, England RL and the Exiles rugby league team, Exiles. The International Origin was created by the Rugby Football League (RFL) to ...
match in 2012. He was subsequently omitted once again from the England squad, and, amid heavy speculation, in 2013 announced that he would once again be committing to Scotland, having not featured for England once.
Records and statistics
With a combined total of 3,987 points at club and representative level, Brough is the fifth highest points scorer in British rugby league history (behind
Neil Fox,
Jim Sullivan,
Kevin Sinfield and
Gus Risman
Augustus "Gus" John Ferdinand Risman (21 March 1911 – 17 October 1994) was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s through to the 1950s, and coached in the 1940s through to the 1970s.
A devastating three-quarter ...
).
Honours
Hull
*
Challenge Cup
The Challenge Cup is a knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, with the exception of 1915–1919 and 1939–1940, due to World War I and World War II respectively. It involves am ...
: 2005
Huddersfield
*
League Leaders' Shield
The League Leaders' Shield is a shield awarded to the team finishing the season top of Super League in the sport of rugby league football. Currently, and for most of Super League's history, the championship is decided on the basis of a play-off se ...
: 2013
Individual
*
Albert Goldthorpe Medal
The Albert Goldthorpe Medal is an award that has been created by ''Rugby Leaguer & League Express'' to honour the leading players in the Super League and to honour Albert Goldthorpe, who was English rugby league's first superstar at the turn of ...
: 2008, 2013, 2014
*
Man of Steel: 2013
*
Super League Dream Team: 2013, 2015
References
External links
Wakefield Trinity profileHuddersfield Giants profileSL profile*(archived by web.archive.org
*
Players to watch - Danny Brough (Scotland)*(archived by web.archive.org
Statistics at hullfc.comStatistics at rlwc2017.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brough, Danny
1983 births
Living people
People from Thornhill, West Yorkshire
Anglo-Scots
Bradford Bulls players
Castleford Tigers players
Dewsbury Rams players
English rugby league players
English people of Scottish descent
England national rugby league team players
Huddersfield Giants captains
Huddersfield Giants players
Hull F.C. players
Rugby league halfbacks
Rugby league players from Dewsbury
Scotland national rugby league team captains
Scotland national rugby league team players
Wakefield Trinity players
York City Knights players