Joseph Egan (26 March 1919 – 11 November 2012) was an English 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 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 in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played at representative level 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 ...

(

vice-captain Vice-captain, alternate captain (ice hockey) or vice-skip (curling) may refer to a role in a number of sports immediately below the role of captain. The vice-captain may have a number of different roles, including substituting as captain when the re ...

1950 Great Britain Lions tour) 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

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 ...

, and at club level for

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, on the River Douglas, Lancashire, 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 nor ...

from 1938 to 1950,

Oldham Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England, amid the Pennines and between the rivers Irk and Medlock, southeast of Rochdale and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Oldham, wh ...

( Heritage No. 418) (

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 opposin ...

guest) and

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, Staf ...

( Heritage No. 603), as a , or , i.e. number 9, or, 11 or 12, during the era of contested

scrum Scrum may refer to: Sport * Scrum (rugby), a method of restarting play in rugby union and rugby league ** Scrum (rugby union), scrum in rugby union * Scrum, an offensive melee formation in Japanese game Bo-taoshi Media and popular culture * M ...

s, and coached at club level for

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2011 United Kingdom census, 2011 census had a population of 61,464. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, it is on t ...

Warrington Warrington () is a town and unparished area in the borough of the same name in the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England, on the banks of the River Mersey. It is east of Liverpool, and west of Manchester. The population in 2019 was estimat ...

and

Blackpool Borough Blackpool Borough was a rugby league club based in Blackpool, Lancashire, England, that played in the Rugby Football League from 1954 until 1993. The club moved to Wigan in 1987 and was renamed Springfield Borough; to Chorley in 1988 and was ...

. Egan is a

Wigan Hall of Fame The Wigan Warriors are an English professional rugby league club founded in 1872. In 1998, the club created a hall of fame to honour former players and coaches for their contribution to the club. The inaugural members were Billy Boston and Shaun Ed ...

inductee, and was a life member at Wigan, Egan later became coach of Wigan, taking them to

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 ...

success in the 1959–60 season.

Background

Joe Egan was born in

, England, and he died aged 93 in

Greater Manchester Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county and combined authority, combined authority area in North West England, with a population of 2.8 million; comprising ten metropolitan boroughs: City of Manchester, Manchester, City of Salford, Salford ...

, England.

Playing career

Wigan

During the 1938–39 season Joe Egan played at in

's 10-7 victory over

Salford Salford () is a city and the largest settlement in the City of Salford metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. In 2011, Salford had a population of 103,886. It is also the second and only other city in the metropolitan county afte ...

in the

1938–39 Lancashire Cup 1938–39 was the thirty-first occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Salford by the score of 10-7. The match was played at Station Road, Pendlebury, Salford, (historically in the county ...

Final 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 22 October 1938. Egan played 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 ...

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 on Saturday 21 March 1942. During the 1943–44 season Egan played , and scored a

drop goal A drop goal, field goal, or dropped goal is a method of scoring points in rugby union and rugby league and also, rarely, in American football and Canadian football. A drop goal is scored by drop kicking the ball (dropping the ball and then kicki ...

's 13-9 victory over

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

Final first-leg at

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

on Saturday 13 May 1944, and played , and scored a

try Try or TRY may refer to: Music Albums * ''Try!'', an album by the John Mayer Trio * ''Try'' (Bebo Norman album) (2014) Songs * "Try" (Blue Rodeo song) (1987) * "Try" (Colbie Caillat song) (2014) * "Try" (Nelly Furtado song) (2004) * " Try (Ju ...

in the 12-5 victory over

in the

Final second-leg 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 ...

on Saturday 20 May 1944. During the 1945–46 season Egan played at in the 3-7 defeat by

in the 1945–46 Lancashire Cup Final at

Wilderspool Stadium Wilderspool Stadium was a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. History In 1898, Warrington RLFC moved to the Wilderspool Stadium. A 10-year lea ...

on Saturday 27 October 1945. He also won two

s with Wigan in the 1945–46 season, and the 1946–47 season. He accompanied the Great Britain test team as hooker on their tour of Australia in 1946 and 1948. During the 1946–47 season he played in the 9–3 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the

1946–47 Lancashire Cup 1946–47 was the thirty-fourth occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Belle Vue Rangers by the score of 9-3. The match was played at Station Road, Pendlebury, (historically in the coun ...

Final at

on Saturday 26 October 1946. During the 1947–48 season he played in the 10–7 victory over Belle Vue Rangers in the

1947–48 Lancashire Cup 1947–48 was the thirty-fifth occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Belle Vue Rangers by the score of 10-7 The match was played at Wilderspool, Warrington, (historically in the count ...

Final at

on Saturday 1 November 1947. During the 1947–48 season Egan played and was

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in Wigan's 8-3 victory over

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 predomi ...

in the

1947–48 Challenge Cup The 1947–48 Challenge Cup was the 47th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Wigan and Bradford Northern at Wembley Stadium, and was the first ever rugby league match to be televise ...

Final 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 Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

on Saturday 1 May 1948, in front of a crowd of 91,465. He was the first captain to receive the trophy from a reigning monarch,

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. On the same day former with Egan on the indomitables tour

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 ...

, was the first man to win the

Lance Todd Lancelot Beaumont "Lance" Todd (26 May 1883 – 14 November 1942) was a New Zealand-born rugby league footballer and manager of the early 20th century. As a player, he represented New Zealand in 1907 and 1908 and played in England for the Wiga ...

trophy on the losing side. Joe Egan, Frank Whitcombe &

Ken Gee Kenneth Gee (23 September 1916 – 17 April 1989) was an English rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. He played at representative level for Great Britain winning 17 caps between 1946 and 1951, England winning 18-ca ...

formed a formidable front row in the first two test which the Australians feared on the tour to Australia in 1946, he later became the oldest surviving member. During the 1948–49 season Egan played at in the 14-8 victory over

in the

1948–49 Lancashire Cup 1948–49 was the thirty-sixth occasion on which the Lancashire Cup completion had been held. Wigan won the trophy by beating Warrington by the score of 14–8. The match was played at Station Road, Pendlebury, (historically in the county of L ...

Final at

on Saturday 13 November 1948, and during the 1949–50 season he played at in the 20–7 victory over

in the 1949–50 Lancashire Cup Final at

on Saturday 29 October 1949.

Oldham

Joe Egan played as a as a

guest in

's 8-11 defeat by

in the 1942–43 match 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 16 January 1943.

Leigh

During the 1951–52 season Egan played and was the

's 6-14 defeat by

in the 1951–52 Lancashire Cup Final at

on Saturday 27 October 1951, in front of a crowd of 33,230. During the 1952–53 season he played and was the coach in the 22-5 victory over St. Helens in the 1952–53 Lancashire Cup Final at

on Saturday 29 November 1952, in front of a crowd of 34,785.

Coaching career

Leigh

Egan remained with Leigh purely as

for the season after he had retired from playing, and finished 11th in his last season with Leigh. During the 1955–56 season Egan was the

's 26-9 victory over

in the 1955–56 Lancashire Cup Final at

on Saturday 15 October 1955, in front of a crowd of 26,504.

Wigan

During the 1957–58 season Egan was the

's 13–9 victory over

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

1957–58 Challenge Cup The 1957–58 Challenge Cup was the 57th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. The final was contested by Wigan and Workington Town at Wembley Stadium in London. The final was played on Saturday 10 May 1958, ...

Final at

on Saturday 10 May 1958, in front of a crowd of 66,109. During the 1958–59 season he was the coach in the 30-13 victory over

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 ...

in the 1958–59 Challenge Cup Final at

on Saturday 9 May 1959, in front of a crowd of 79,811, During the 1960–61 season Egan was coach in the 6-12 defeat by St. Helens in the 1960–61 Challenge Cup Final at

on Saturday 13 May 1961, in front of a crowd of 94,672.

Warrington

Egan later coached

. During the 1967–68 season Egan was the coach in

's 2–2 draw with St. Helens in the 1967–68 Lancashire Cup Final at

on Saturday 7 October 1967, and the 10–13 defeat by St. Helens in the 1967–68 Lancashire Cup Final replay at

on Saturday 2 December 1967. After a disastrous start to the 1970–71 season, Joe Egan decided to stand down, and he was replaced by

Peter Harvey Peter Michael St Clair Harvey (16 September 19442 March 2013) was an Australian journalist and broadcaster. Harvey was a long-serving correspondent and contributor with the Nine Network from 1975 to 2013. Career Harvey studied his journalism c ...

References

External links

Joe Egan: 'I'm not so bad for a 90-year-old'
{{DEFAULTSORT:Egan, Joe 1919 births 2012 deaths Blackpool Borough coaches British Home Guard soldiers England national rugby league team captains England national rugby league team players English rugby league coaches English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players Leigh Leopards captains Leigh Leopards coaches Leigh Leopards players Oldham R.L.F.C. players Rugby league hookers Rugby league players from Wigan Rugby League XIII players Warrington Wolves coaches Widnes Vikings coaches Wigan Warriors captains Wigan Warriors coaches Wigan Warriors players