Garry Schofield
Encyclopedia
Garry E. Schofield OBE (born 1 July 1965 in Hunslet
, Leeds
) is an English retired professional rugby league
footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. At the time of his retirement he was the most-capped Great Britain player of all time along with Mick Sullivan
, with 46 appearances. He also won three England caps, making him the highest capped player in total from the British Isles. He won the 1990 Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
as the greatest player on the planet, largely due to his exceptional performances in Great Britain's backs-against-the-wall Test-series win in New Zealand and his remarkable display as Great Britain beat Australia at Wembley 19–12. The award to Schofield was made retrospectively in 2011 by Rugby League World
magazine. Schofield has since coached Barrow Raiders
in Rugby League's Championship. He is also a regular columnist for the monthly Rugby League World
magazine and is employed as a business consultant for corporate communications giants, Wish Communications.
, making his debut as an 18-year-old on the 1984 tour of Australia. Facing Mal Meninga and Gene Miles, the fearsome Australian powerhouse centres, he emerged from the tour with much credit.
Schofield played for Hull in the 1985 Challenge Cup final against Wigan
. Also in 1985, he re-wrote the record books by scoring four tries for Great Britain
as they beat New Zealand in the second Test series at Central Park, Wigan
. The series ended 1–1, with the third game drawn.
Moving to Sydney, Schofield spent the 1986 NSWRL season with the Balmain Tigers
club and gained the rare distinction for a British footballer of becoming the season's top try-scorer.
in 1987 for a world record fee of ₤187,000. In 1988 Schofield was named the costliest player in world rugby league. In 1990, as vice-captain, he was outstanding in Great Britain's series triumph in New Zealand and then in the victory over Australia at Wembley
.
In 1991 Schofield won the Man of Steel Award for player of the season.
He experienced possibly his finest hour when captaining the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand with a magnificent 33–10 win over Australia in Melbourne, Schofield a clear choice as man of the match. But the Ashes were once again lost by two games to one and later that year, with Schofield as captain again, Great Britain were pipped at the end of the World Cup Final against Australia in front of a world-record Test crowd at Wembley by a late Steve Renouf
try.
A year later, Schofield captained Great Britain to a superb 3–0 series whitewash over New Zealand before ending his Test career with two appearances in the 1994 Ashes series. He controversially missed out on selection for England's 1995 World Cup
squad. But he did enough in the Test arena to win the respect of the usually hard-to-please Australians. When asked in 2010 by Rugby League World
who was the best British player he faced, the Australian legend Brett Kenny
replied, "Garry Schofield – he was a great player and a real thorn in the side of anyone he came across. He could score tries from nothing when he was a young centre and then he went on to become a very good stand-off and a very good leader."
, he took over the coaching reins but was dismissed after 13 games, having picked up two wins. He later successfully sued the club for unfair dismissal. Interestingly, it took Huddersfield's next three coaches – Mal Reilly
, John Kear
and Tony Smith – more than 13 games to register two wins, with the club so far off the pace in their early Super League years. It was only after relegation and promotion under Smith that they became competitive.
Young Lions (Under 19s) in May & June 2010. He led the Lions to five wins from five. Later in the year he was appointed to coach high-flying, big-spending Barrow Raiders
in the Championship, although he was fired after only 5 games due to his inepititude in the position.
Schofield is also a high-profile media pundit. In March 2001, Schofield's Autobiography, Tries the Limit was published.
Arriva Yorkshire
honoured 13 rugby league footballers on Thursday 20 August 2009, at a ceremony at The Jungle
, the home of the Castleford Tigers
. A fleet of new buses were named after the 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team'. Members of the public nominated the best ever rugby league footballers to have played in West Yorkshire, supported by local rugby league journalists; James Deighton from BBC Leeds, and Tim Butcher, editor of Rugby League World
. The 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team' included Schofield.
In 2011, Schofield was awarded the Rugby League World Golden Boot
retrospectively for the 1990 season in which he was adjudged to have been the world's best rugby league player.
Hunslet
Hunslet is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is south east of the city centre and has an industrial past.Hunslet had many engineering companies based in the district, such as John Fowler & Co...
, Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
) is an English retired professional 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...
footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. At the time of his retirement he was the most-capped Great Britain player of all time along with Mick Sullivan
Mick Sullivan
Michael "Mick" Sullivan is an English former professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1950s and 60s. He holds the record for the most appearances for the Great Britain Lions with 46.Sullivan signed with Huddersfield in 1952 as an 18 year-old right winger...
, with 46 appearances. He also won three England caps, making him the highest capped player in total from the British Isles. He won the 1990 Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
The Rugby League World Golden Boot Award is a rugby league award handed out annually for achievements in rugby league by Rugby League World magazine...
as the greatest player on the planet, largely due to his exceptional performances in Great Britain's backs-against-the-wall Test-series win in New Zealand and his remarkable display as Great Britain beat Australia at Wembley 19–12. The award to Schofield was made retrospectively in 2011 by Rugby League World
Rugby League World
Rugby League World is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper Rugby Leaguer & League Express and the annual Gillette Rugby League Yearbook.-History:Rugby League World began...
magazine. Schofield has since coached Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
in Rugby League's Championship. He is also a regular columnist for the monthly Rugby League World
Rugby League World
Rugby League World is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper Rugby Leaguer & League Express and the annual Gillette Rugby League Yearbook.-History:Rugby League World began...
magazine and is employed as a business consultant for corporate communications giants, Wish Communications.
Hull
Within a year of entering the professional game with Hull, Schofield was a full British LionGreat Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
, making his debut as an 18-year-old on the 1984 tour of Australia. Facing Mal Meninga and Gene Miles, the fearsome Australian powerhouse centres, he emerged from the tour with much credit.
Schofield played for Hull in the 1985 Challenge Cup final against Wigan
Wigan Warriors
Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....
. Also in 1985, he re-wrote the record books by scoring four tries for Great Britain
Great Britain national rugby league team
The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....
as they beat New Zealand in the second Test series at Central Park, Wigan
Central Park (Wigan)
Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...
. The series ended 1–1, with the third game drawn.
Moving to Sydney, Schofield spent the 1986 NSWRL season with the Balmain Tigers
Balmain Tigers
The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...
club and gained the rare distinction for a British footballer of becoming the season's top try-scorer.
Leeds
Schofield moved from Hull to his home town club LeedsLeeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...
in 1987 for a world record fee of ₤187,000. In 1988 Schofield was named the costliest player in world rugby league. In 1990, as vice-captain, he was outstanding in Great Britain's series triumph in New Zealand and then in the victory over Australia at Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
.
In 1991 Schofield won the Man of Steel Award for player of the season.
He experienced possibly his finest hour when captaining the 1992 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand with a magnificent 33–10 win over Australia in Melbourne, Schofield a clear choice as man of the match. But the Ashes were once again lost by two games to one and later that year, with Schofield as captain again, Great Britain were pipped at the end of the World Cup Final against Australia in front of a world-record Test crowd at Wembley by a late Steve Renouf
Steve Renouf
Stephen Renouf is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s, 90s and 2000s. Of Aboriginal and European descent, he was known as one of the sport's greatest centres. Renouf set numerous records for the Brisbane Broncos club and is considered one of the greatest...
try.
A year later, Schofield captained Great Britain to a superb 3–0 series whitewash over New Zealand before ending his Test career with two appearances in the 1994 Ashes series. He controversially missed out on selection for England's 1995 World Cup
1995 Rugby League World Cup
The 1995 Rugby League World Cup was held during October in the United Kingdom. It was the eleventh staging of the Rugby League World Cup and was marketed as the Halifax Centenary World Cup, reflecting the tournament's sponsorship and the fact that 1995 marked the 100th birthday of the sport...
squad. But he did enough in the Test arena to win the respect of the usually hard-to-please Australians. When asked in 2010 by Rugby League World
Rugby League World
Rugby League World is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper Rugby Leaguer & League Express and the annual Gillette Rugby League Yearbook.-History:Rugby League World began...
who was the best British player he faced, the Australian legend Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny
Brett Kenny is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 90s. He was a five-eighth for the Australian national team, the New South Wales Blues representative side and the Parramatta Eels. He played in 17 Tests, made 17 State of Origin appearances and won 4...
replied, "Garry Schofield – he was a great player and a real thorn in the side of anyone he came across. He could score tries from nothing when he was a young centre and then he went on to become a very good stand-off and a very good leader."
Huddersfield
Schofield finally left Leeds in 1996, joining Huddersfield for a six-figure sum. After helping the Giants into Super LeagueSuper League
Super League is the top-level professional rugby league football club competition in Europe. As a result of sponsorship from engage Mutual Assurance the competition is currently officially known as the engage Super League. The League features fourteen teams: thirteen from England and one from...
, he took over the coaching reins but was dismissed after 13 games, having picked up two wins. He later successfully sued the club for unfair dismissal. Interestingly, it took Huddersfield's next three coaches – Mal Reilly
Mal Reilly
Malcolm J. Reilly is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. A Great Britain international representative , Reilly played club football for Castleford Tigers in England and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in Australia...
, John Kear
John Kear
John Kear is an English rugby league coach and former rugby league player. Kear is currently the coach of Batley Bulldogs...
and Tony Smith – more than 13 games to register two wins, with the club so far off the pace in their early Super League years. It was only after relegation and promotion under Smith that they became competitive.
After playing
Schofield is currently assisting the South Africans with their efforts to qualify for the 2013 World Cup after impressing their management with his coaching of the British Amateur Rugby League AssociationBritish Amateur Rugby League Association
The British Amateur Rugby League Association is the governing body for social and recreational rugby league in the United Kingdom...
Young Lions (Under 19s) in May & June 2010. He led the Lions to five wins from five. Later in the year he was appointed to coach high-flying, big-spending Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders
Barrow Raiders are an English professional rugby league team from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, who are coached by Dave Clark. Formed in 1875 as Barrow Football Club, the club is the oldest of the current professional sports teams in Cumbria....
in the Championship, although he was fired after only 5 games due to his inepititude in the position.
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire
Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...
honoured 13 rugby league footballers on Thursday 20 August 2009, at a ceremony at The Jungle
The Jungle (Wheldon Road)
The Jungle is the former name of Wheldon Road, a stadium in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England. This is the home of the Castleford Tigers rugby league team....
, the home of the Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers
Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...
. A fleet of new buses were named after the 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team'. Members of the public nominated the best ever rugby league footballers to have played in West Yorkshire, supported by local rugby league journalists; James Deighton from BBC Leeds, and Tim Butcher, editor of Rugby League World
Rugby League World
Rugby League World is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper Rugby Leaguer & League Express and the annual Gillette Rugby League Yearbook.-History:Rugby League World began...
. The 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team' included Schofield.
In 2011, Schofield was awarded the Rugby League World Golden Boot
Rugby League World Golden Boot Award
The Rugby League World Golden Boot Award is a rugby league award handed out annually for achievements in rugby league by Rugby League World magazine...
retrospectively for the 1990 season in which he was adjudged to have been the world's best rugby league player.