Frederick "Eric" E. Batten (13 June 1914 – 3 September 1993) was an English

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In it ...

and 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 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, 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 rugby league in the 1950s. He played club level rugby league (RU) for

Sandal RUFC Sandal Rugby Union Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Sandal Magna near Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The club runs three senior sides, a veterans team, academy and colts teams and ten junior teams. The first XV plays in North Pre ...

, and representative level rugby league (RL) for

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

and

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 at club level 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 ...

( Heritage No. 393) (two spells, including the second as a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

guest),

Hunslet Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the city centre and has an industrial past. It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside ward of Leeds City Council and Leeds Central parliamentar ...

Featherstone Rovers Featherstone Rovers are a professional rugby league club in Featherstone, West Yorkshire, England, who play in the Championship. Featherstone is a former coal mining town with a population of around 16,000 and Rovers are one of the last "smal ...

( Heritage No. 178) (four spells, including the first three as a

guest) ( captain),

Leeds Leeds () is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds district in West Yorkshire, England. It is built around the River Aire and is in the eastern foothills of the Pennines. It is also the third-largest settlement (by popula ...

(two spells, including the first as a

guest),

Castleford Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the town centre the River Calder joins th ...

( Heritage No. 221) (

guest) and

Bradford Northern The Bradford Bulls are a professional rugby league club in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, playing in the Championship. They have won five Challenge Cups, six league championships and three World Club Challenges. The team jersey is pre ...

, as a , i.e. number 2 or 5, and coached at club level for Featherstone Rovers, and Batley.Bailey, Ron (1956). ''The Official History Of Featherstone Rovers R.L.F.C.''. Wakefield Express. ASIN: B00O1TLDPC Eric Batten appeared in eight Challenge Cup Finals; two for Leeds, five for Bradford Northern, and one for Featherstone Rovers, winning three, and losing five, he scored a total of 443 tries during his career, he his third on the all-time try scorers list behind

Brian Bevan Brian Eyrl Bevan (24 January 1924 – 3 June 1991), also known by the nickname of "Wing Wizard", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s who became the only player ever to have been induc ...

(796 tries), and Billy Boston (571 tries),Gate, Robert (1989). ''Rugby League - An Illustrated History''. Arthur Barker (A division of Weidenfeld Publishers Limited, London).

Background

Eric Batten's birth was registered in Sculcoates district,

Kingston upon Hull Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-ea ...

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...

, England, he was a

dustman A waste collector, also known as a garbageman, garbage collector, trashman (in the US), binman or (rarely) dustman (in the UK), is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and dispose of municipal solid waste (refuse) and r ...

in the cleansing department for Hemsworth Rural District council, he died aged 79 in

West Yorkshire West Yorkshire is a metropolitan and ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. It is an inland and upland county having eastward-draining valleys while taking in the moors of the Pennines. West Yorkshire came into exi ...

, England, and he is buried in Lawnswood Cemetery,

Playing career

Club career

Eric Batten started his rugby career playing

before signing for the

club

in September 1933. He made his début for Wakefield Trinity in the 9–3 victory over Bradford Northern at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 30 September 1933. He played 41 matches for Wakefield Trinity, scoring 12 tries in those matches, including a

hat-trick A hat-trick or hat trick is the achievement of a generally positive feat three times in a match, or another achievement based on the number three. Origin The term first appeared in 1858 in cricket, to describe H. H. Stephenson taking three wic ...

against Hull Kingston Rovers in March 1936, before he moved to

in September 1936 for £400. During the war years, Eric returned to Wakefield Trinity as a

guest, playing two matches in May 1940, and one February 1943, in these three wartime matches he scored eight tries, including four against Huddersfield in May 1940, making his club total 20 tries in 44 appearances. he also played one match for

as a

guest, he played , i.e. number 2, against Dewsbury at

Crown Flatt Crown Flatt, currently known as the Tetley's Stadium for sponsorship purposes, is a rugby league stadium in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England. It is the home of the Dewsbury Rams, who play in the Championship. The ground occupies the site of t ...

, Dewsbury on Saturday 14 February 1942.

International honours

Eric Batten won

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

s for

while at

in 1938 against Wales, in 1939 against France, and Wales, in 1940 against Wales, in 1941 against Wales, in 1943 against Wales, while at Bradford Northern in 1944 against Wales, in 1945 against Wales (2 matches), in 1946 against France (2 matches), and Wales, in 1947 against France, in 1948 against France, and won

s for

while at Bradford Northern in 1946 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand, and in 1947 against New Zealand.

Championship Final appearances

Eric Batten played right-, i.e. number 3, in

's 8–2 victory over

in the

Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...

Final during the 1937–38 at Elland Road,

on Saturday 30 April 1938. and played in

's 26-20 aggregate victory over Halifax in the

Final during the 1944–45 season; the 2–9 defeat at

Thrum Hall Thrum Hall was a rugby league stadium on Hanson Lane in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England. It was the home of Halifax for 112 years. The site on which the ground stood is now occupied by a supermarket. History In 1878, Halifax, who had just w ...

, Halifax, and the 24–11 victory at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Eric Batten played in

' 19–2 victory over Halifax in the 1940–41 Challenge Cup Final during the 1940–41 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, in front of a crowd of 28,500, played in the 15-16 aggregate defeat by Dewsbury in the 1942–43 Challenge Cup Final during the 1942–43 season; the 9–16 defeat at

, Dewsbury on Sunday 9 May 1943, in front of a crowd of 10,470, and the 6–0 victory at

Headingley Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...

on Sunday 16 May 1943, in front of a crowd of 16,000, played in

's 8-3 aggregate victory over

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. Bolton lies to the north-east and Warrington t ...

in the 1943–44 Challenge Cup Final during the 1943–44 season; the 0–3 defeat at

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...

on Saturday 15 April 1944, and the 8–0 victory at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 22 April 1944, played in the 9-13 aggregate defeat by

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a market town in the Kirklees district in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confluence into ...

in the 1944–45 Challenge Cup Final during the 1944–45 season; the 4–7 defeat at Fartown,

, and the 5–6 defeat at Odsal Stadium, Bradford, played in the 8–4 victory over

in the 1946–47 Challenge Cup Final during the 1946–47 season at

Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

on Saturday 3 May 1947, played , i.e. number 2, in the 3–8 defeat by

in the 1947–48 Challenge Cup Final during the 1947–48 season at

on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465, and played in

' 10–18 defeat by

Workington Town Workington Town R.L.F.C. is a semi-professional rugby league club playing in Workington in west Cumbria. Their stadium is Derwent Park, which they share with Workington Comets, a speedway team. They became Rugby League Champions in 1951 and ...

in the 1951–52 Challenge Cup Final during the 1951–52 season at

on Saturday 19 April 1952, in front of a crowd of 72,093.

played in five of the six Challenge Cup finals between 1944 and 1949, the first two finals; the 1943–44 Challenge Cup Final against

, 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

were played over two-legs, five Bradford Northern players played in all five of these finals, they were; Eric Batten,

Vic Darlison Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense): ...

Donald Ward Donald Ward (born – death unknown) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s, and Coach (sport), coached in the 1950s. He played at club level for Dewsbury Rams, Dewsbury, Bradford Bulls, Bradford ...

, Ernest Ward, and

Frank Whitcombe Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardiff ...

Other notable matches

Eric Batten played , i.e. number 2, for a

Rugby League XIII The Rugby League XIII was an invitation team run along the same lines as the Rugby Union Barbarians team. Particularly in the Second World War, when international fixtures were restricted to England V Wales. The Rugby League would play representat ...

against

Northern Command XIII Northern may refer to the following: Geography * North, a point in direction * Northern Europe, the northern part or region of Europe * Northern Highland, a region of Wisconsin, United States * Northern Province, Sri Lanka * Northern Range, a ...

, Halifax on Saturday 21 March 1942.

Notable tour matches

Eric Batten played , i.e. number 2, in

's 6–17 defeat by Australia in the

1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain The 1933–34 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain was the fifth Kangaroo tour, and took the Australia national rugby league team around the north of England, to London and Paris. The tour also featured the 11th Ashes series which comprised three Tes ...

match during the 1933–34 season at Belle Vue,

Wakefield Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 99,251 in the 2011 census.https://www.nomisweb.co.uk/census/2011/ks101ew Census 2011 table KS101EW Usual resident population, ...

on Saturday 28 October 1933.

Club career

Eric Batten made his début for Featherstone Rovers on Saturday 2 December 1939.Bailey, Ron (20 September 2001). ''Images of Sport - Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club''. The History Press.

Coaching career

Club career

Eric Batten was the coach of Batley from October 1956 to April 1958.

Honoured at Featherstone Rovers

Eric Batten is a Featherstone Rovers Hall of Fame inductee.

Genealogical information

Eric Batten was the son of the rugby league footballer

Billy Batten William Batten (26 May 1889 – 26 January 1959) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Hun ...

. Eric Batten's marriage to Annie ( née Saxton, born in

district – died aged 81 on 13 April 1995) was registered during first 1937 in

district. They had children; John Michael Batten (birth registered third 1940 in

Hemsworth Hemsworth is a town and civil parish in the City of Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire and had a population of 13,311 at the 2001 census, with it increasing to 13,533 at the 2011 Census. Hist ...

district) Janet Batten (birth registered first in

district), and Gaynor Batten (birth registered second in

district). He was buried at Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds.

References

External links