George W. Parsons (21 April 1926 – 24 November 2009) was a Welsh dual-code international

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 its m ...

, 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 112 ...

footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, and at club level for

Abertillery RFC Abertillery Rugby Football Club is a Welsh rugby union club based in Abertillery. According to their website, they were founded in 1883 by a coal miner named Doug Wallace who was a local resident who moved from Scotland in 1882, Wallace was know ...

Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after ...

Newport RFC Newport Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Casnewydd) is a Welsh rugby union club based in the city of Newport, South Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Premier Division. Until 2021 Newport RFC were based at Rodney Parade situated on t ...

(two spells), and

Newbridge RFC Newbridge RFC is a Welsh Rugby Union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and joined the WRU in 1911. They play in the WRU Specsavers Division 1 East Club history Newbridge RFC established in ...

, as a lock, 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 is ...

and

, and at club level for St. Helens,

Rochdale Hornets The Rochdale Hornets are a professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England, competing in the Championship, the second tier of European rugby league. The Rochdale Hornets are one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs ...

and Salford, as a . He coached Salford from 1960 to 1963.Salford City Reds A Willows Century (2002) by Graham Morris, published by Vertical Editions, page 115

Playing career

International honours

George Parsons represented Wales XV (RU) while at Abertillery RFC in the 'Victory International' non- Test match(es) between December 1945 and April 1946, won a cap for

(RU) while at Newport RFC in 1947 against England, won caps for

(RL) while at St. Helens, and Salford. Parsons also represented

(RL) while at St. Helens in 1951 against

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

at Headingley in a Festival of Britain match, and in 1953 against France (1 non-

Test Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to: * Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities Arts and entertainment * ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film * ''Test'' (2014 film), ...

match) in Lyons.Edgar, Harry (2007). ''Rugby League Journal Annual 2008 age-110'. Rugby League Journal Publishing. Along with William "Billy" Banks, Edward "Ted" Cahill, Gordon Haynes,

Keith Holliday Keith Holliday (6 April 1934 – 9 March 2017) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain and Yorkshire (captain), and at ...

, William "Billy" Ivison, Robert "Bob" Kelly,

John McKeown John McKeown is a solo artist based in London, England, signed to Beatroute Records.''Music Week''Beatroute Records makes return 8 August 2009. McKeown previously fronted rock group, Hero. After a European tour with Stereophonics and a numbe ...

and Edward "Ted" Slevin, Parsons' only

appearance came against

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

prior to 1957, these matches were not considered as

Test matches Test match in some sports refers to a sporting contest between national representative teams and may refer to: * Test cricket * Test match (indoor cricket) * Test match (rugby union) * Test match (rugby league) * Test match (association football) ...

by the

Rugby Football League The Rugby Football League is the governing body for professional rugby league in England, and until 1995 for the whole British Isles. The name Rugby Football League previously also referred to the main league competition run by the organisati ...

, and consequently caps were not awarded.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

George Parsons played left- in St. Helens' 10–15 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 1953 Challenge Cup Final during the 1952–53 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 25 April 1953.McCorquodale, London S.E (25 April 1953). ''The Rugby League Challenge Cup Competition – Final Tie – Huddersfield v St. Helens – Match Programme''. Wembley Stadium Ltd. ISBN n/a and played left- in the 13-2 victory over Halifax in the

1956 Challenge Cup Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

Final during the 1955–56 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 28 April 1956, in front of a crowd of 79,341.

County Cup Final appearances

George Parsons played left- in St. Helens' 5–22 defeat by

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, Sta ...

in the

1952 Lancashire Cup Year 195 ( CXCV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Scrapula and Clemens (or, less frequently, year 948 ''Ab urbe cond ...

Final during the 1952–53 season at

Station Road, Swinton Station Road was a stadium in Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. It was the home of Swinton Rugby League Club between 1929 and 1992 and was widely recognised as one of the finest grounds in the Rugby League. Swinton moved to Station Road w ...

on Saturday 29 November 1952, played left- in the 16–8 victory over Wigan in the

1953 Lancashire Cup Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yugoslav ...

Final during the 1953–54 season at

on Saturday 24 October 1953, played left- in the 3–10 defeat by Oldham in the

1956 Lancashire Cup Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim ...

Final during the 1956–57 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 20 October 1956.

Honoured at St Helens R.F.C.

George Parsons is a

St Helens R.F.C. Hall of Fame St Helens R.F.C. Hall of Fame honours past players of St Helens since its inception in 1873. Members The forty-five strong hall of fame is: * Jack Arkwright – SR *Frank Barrow – PR *Billy Benyon – CE *Tommy Bishop – SH * Frank Carlt ...

inductee.

Outside of rugby

Parsons was a senior manager at the Pilkington glass factory in St Helens, Merseyside, St. Helens, he was also a magistrate, and a Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party councillor.

References

External links

Profile at saints.org.uk
*(archived by web.archive.org
Abertillery RFC History
*(archived by web.archive.org
Last farewell to true rugby great Welsh stars still had a rugby ball in wartimeProfile at blackandambers.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parsons, George 1926 births 2009 deaths Abertillery RFC players Cardiff RFC players Dual-code rugby internationals Great Britain national rugby league team players Liberal Party (UK) councillors Liberal Party (UK) politicians English justices of the peace Newbridge RFC players Newport RFC players Rochdale Hornets players Rugby league players from Caerphilly County Borough Rugby league second-rows Rugby union locks Rugby union players from Newbridge, Caerphilly Salford Red Devils coaches Salford Red Devils players St Helens R.F.C. players Wales international rugby union players Wales national rugby league team players Welsh rugby league players Welsh rugby union players