Donald Ward (born – death unknown) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s, and

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

ed in the 1950s. He played at club level for

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 ...

, Bradford Northern,

Celtic de Paris Celtic de Paris were a French rugby league team from the city of Paris. The club played most games at La Cipale, Saint-Ouen, and occasionally at the Parc des Princes. Maurice Tardy was the president of the club in the 1950s, signing star player ...

and Wyke ARLFC, as a , or , i.e. number 6, or 7, and coached at club level for

and Wyke ARLFC.

Background

Donald Ward was born in

, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.

Playing career

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Donald Ward played in Bradford Northern's 8-3 aggregate victory over Wigan in the 1943–44

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 during the 1943–44 season; the 0–3 defeat at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 15 April 1944, and the 8–0 victory at

Odsal Stadium Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, is the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team. It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, BRISCA F1 and F2 stock cars, the football team Bradford City, following the Valley ...

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

on Saturday 22 April 1944, played in the 8–4 victory over Leeds in the 1946–47

Final during the 1946–47 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 3 May 1947, played in the 3–8 defeat by Wigan in the 1947–48

Final during the 1947–48 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 1 May 1948, and played in the 12–0 victory over Halifax in the 1948–49

Final during the 1948–49 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 7 May 1949. Bradford Northern played in five of the six

finals between 1944 and 1949, the first two finals; the

1943–44 Challenge Cup The 1943–44 Challenge Cup was the 43rd staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Bradford Northern and Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the Ri ...

Final against Wigan, and the

1944–45 Challenge Cup The 1944–45 Challenge Cup was the 44th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. Qualifier First round Second round Semifinals Final In the final of the Rugby league Challenge Cup, Huddersfield beat Bradf ...

Final against Huddersfield were played over two-legs, five Bradford Northern players played in all five of these finals, they were;

Eric Batten Frederick "Eric" E. Batten (13 June 1914 – 3 September 1993) was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and coached rugby league in the 1950s. He played club level rugby leagu ...

, Vic Darlison, Donald Ward,

Ernest Ward Ernest Ward (30 July 1920 – 9 July 1987) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, and coached in the 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, British Empire, Combined Nationalities and Eng ...

, and Frank Whitcombe.

Genealogical information

Donald Ward was the older brother of the rugby league footballer;

References

External links