John Roper (birth registered in the third quarter of 1936 – 14 October 2015), also known by the

nickname A nickname is a substitute for the proper name of a familiar person, place or thing. Commonly used to express affection, a form of endearment, and sometimes amusement, it can also be used to express defamation of character. As a concept, it is ...

of "Sol", 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 1950s and 1960s, 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 1960s and 1970s.

Rugby League clubs

* Captained Hensingham A.R.L.F.C. (in

Hensingham Hensingham is a suburb of Whitehaven and former civil parish, now in the parish of Whitehaven, in the Copeland district, in the county of Cumbria, England. The ward population taken at the 2011 census was 4,145. In 1931 the parish had a popula ...

Whitehaven Whitehaven is a town and port on the English north west coast and near to the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, England. Historically in Cumberland, it lies by road south-west of Carlisle and to the north of Barrow-in-Furness. It is th ...

), *

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 ...

, * Broughton Moor A.R.L.F.C. (in Broughton Moor), *

Whitehaven R.L.F.C. Whitehaven 2010 R.L.F.C. is a professional rugby league club playing in Whitehaven in west Cumbria. They play in Betfred Championship after winning Betfred League 1 in 2019. Their stadium is called the Recreation Ground (known locally as the ...

, as a , i.e. number 7, after he stopped playing rugby league he coached at the club.

Playing career

County honours

Sol Roper at representative level for the

Cumberland rugby league team The Cumbria rugby league team (known as Cumberland from 1898 to 1973) is an English representative rugby league team consisting of players who were born in the county of Cumbria and the historic county of Cumberland. They play fixtures against ...

, whilst at Workington Town.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Sol Roper played , sustained a shoulder injury but returned to the field, in Workington Town's 12–21 defeat by

Barrow Barrow may refer to: Places England * Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria ** Borough of Barrow-in-Furness, local authority encompassing the wider area ** Barrow and Furness (UK Parliament constituency) * Barrow, Cheshire * Barrow, Gloucestershire * Barro ...

in the 1954–55

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 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 30 April 1955 in front of a crowd of 66,513, and was, at the age of 21 years, the youngest Wembley captain in Workington Town's 9–13 defeat by

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 ...

in the 1957–58 Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium, on Saturday 10 May 1958.

Genealogical information

Sol Roper was the father of the rugby league footballer Tony Rope

and the grandfather of the rugby league footballer

Jon Roper Jon Roper (born ) is an English former professional rugby league footballer who played as a and in the 1990s and 2000s. He played at representative level for Cumbria and England, and at club level for Warrington Wolves, London Broncos, Salfo ...

References

External links

Search for "Roper" at rugbyleagueproject.org
*(archived by web.archive.org
Nostalgia: Harry and Sol had formula for a perfect partnershipWembley Legend Sol Roper Star Guest At Workington TownWorkington and Whitehaven mourn death of John 'Sol' RoperTributes for Town legend Sol RoperSol Roper
{{DEFAULTSORT:Roper, Sol 1936 births 2015 deaths Cumberland rugby league team players English rugby league coaches English rugby league players Rugby league halfbacks Rugby league players from Whitehaven Whitehaven R.L.F.C. coaches Whitehaven R.L.F.C. players Workington Town captains Workington Town coaches Workington Town players