Harry "Jersey" Flegg (6 April 1878 in

Bolton Bolton (, locally ) is a large town in Greater Manchester in North West England, formerly a part of Lancashire. A former mill town, Bolton has been a production centre for textiles since Flemish people, Flemish weavers settled in the area i ...

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 Lancashi ...

23 August 1960 in

North Sydney, New South Wales North Sydney is a suburb and major commercial district on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, Australia. North Sydney is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local governme ...

) was an English-Australian

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 ...

identity. Both a player and administrator, he was a leading figure in the birth of the sport in Australia. Flegg emigrated to Australia at an early age. He received his nickname 'Jersey' while still at school, after a meeting with the

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(NSW) Governor of the time,

Lord Jersey Earl of the Island of Jersey, usually shortened to Earl of Jersey, is a title in the Peerage of England held by a branch of the Villiers family, which since 1819 has been the Child-Villiers family. History It was created in 1697 for the sta ...

, who had bright red hair, similar to his own.

Playing career

Flegg played

rugby football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league. Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...

for the Adelphi club and represented New South Wales in the sport before moving to the new rebel code in

's start up season –

1908 Events January * January 1 – The British ''Nimrod'' Expedition led by Ernest Shackleton sets sail from New Zealand on the ''Nimrod'' for Antarctica. * January 3 – A total solar eclipse is visible in the Pacific Ocean, and is the 46 ...

. Flegg played a leading role in the establishment of the

Eastern Suburbs Eastern Suburbs may refer to: Places *Eastern Suburbs (Mumbai), India *Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Australia **Eastern Suburbs railway line, Sydney, Australia Sports clubs ;Association football *Eastern Suburbs AFC, Auckland, New Zealand * Eastern ...

club, he chaired the founding meeting, and was one of that club's two delegates to the

New South Wales Rugby Football League The New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL) is the governing body of rugby league in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory and is a member of the Australian Rugby League Commission. It was formed in Sydney on 8 August 1907 and was ...

(NSWRFL) as well as being a club selector. A front row forward with a reputation as a solid defender, he captained the side in its inaugural season, including the club's

first match ''First Match'' is a 2018 American drama film written and directed by Olivia Newman, based on her 2010 short film of the same name. The film stars Elvire Emanuelle, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Colman Domingo, Jharrel Jerome, and Jared Kemp. The film pr ...

and the NSWRFL's first premiership decider against neighbouring Sydney club and traditional rival, South Sydney. Flegg was also selected in a Sydney-based representative team during that first season. However, it is in administration that he is best remembered.

Administrative career

In 1909, Flegg was made a New South Wales and Australian selector and in 1929 he was appointed to the position of president of the NSWRFL. In 1941 he became chairman of the

Australian Rugby League The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARL), formerly the Australian Rugby Football League known as the Australian Rugby League is an Australian rugby league football competition operator. It was founded in 1986 as the Australian Rugby Footbal ...

Board of Control. At the time of his death in 1960, aged 82, he was still serving in these roles. A life member of the

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Au ...

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and

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Rugby Leagues, Flegg received further recognition when in 1961 the H. Jersey Flegg Cup was introduced. His contribution to rugby league extended over half a century and during his tenure at the head of the game's administration, rugby league prospered, cementing itself as the dominant football code throughout the Australian states of New South Wales and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. Flegg has been allocated Eastern Suburbs player Number 1.Roosters Club Player Honour Roll
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References

* Gary Lester, The Story of Australian Rugby League * Sean Fagan, The Rugby Rebellion * Alan Whiticker & Glen Hudson, The Encyclopedia of Rugby League Players

External links

at the

Australian Dictionary of Biography The ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'' (ADB or AuDB) is a national co-operative enterprise founded and maintained by the Australian National University (ANU) to produce authoritative biographical articles on eminent people in Australia's ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Flegg, Jersey 1878 births 1960 deaths Rugby league players from Bolton English emigrants to Australia Australian rugby league players Sydney Roosters players Sport Australia Hall of Fame inductees Australian rugby league administrators Rugby league props