Arthur Briggs (rugby)
Encyclopedia
Arthur 'Spafty' Briggs (birth registered July→September 1869 — died 18 August in Bradford
) was a rugby union
footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England
, and at club level for Bradford F.C.
, playing in the Half-backs, e.g. Scrum-half, or Fly-half, i.e. number 9, or 10. Prior to 27 August 1895, Bradford F.C. was a rugby union
club, and since 1907 it has been the association football (soccer) club Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
.
while at Bradford F.C. in the 1892 Home Nations Championship
against Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.
code to the rugby league
code on 27 August 1895, Arthur Briggs would have been approximately 26. Consequently, he may have been both a rugby union and rugby league footballer for Bradford F.C.
Bradford
Bradford lies at the heart of the City of Bradford, a metropolitan borough of West Yorkshire, in Northern England. It is situated in the foothills of the Pennines, west of Leeds, and northwest of Wakefield. Bradford became a municipal borough in 1847, and received its charter as a city in 1897...
) was a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer of the 1890s who at representative level played for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, and at club level for Bradford F.C.
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
, playing in the Half-backs, e.g. Scrum-half, or Fly-half, i.e. number 9, or 10. Prior to 27 August 1895, Bradford F.C. was a rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
club, and since 1907 it has been the association football (soccer) club Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Park Avenue A.F.C.
Bradford Association Football Club, previously also known as Bradford and since its reformation in the 1970s now referred to as Bradford Park Avenue, is a football club based in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England...
.
International honours
Arthur Briggs won caps for EnglandEngland national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
while at Bradford F.C. in the 1892 Home Nations Championship
1892 Home Nations Championship
The 1892 Home Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 2 January and 5 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales....
against Wales, Ireland, and Scotland.
Change of Code
When Bradford F.C. converted from the rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
code to the rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
code on 27 August 1895, Arthur Briggs would have been approximately 26. Consequently, he may have been both a rugby union and rugby league footballer for Bradford F.C.