Jack Gore
Encyclopedia
Jack Gore was a Welsh
international rugby
flanker who played rugby union
for Blaina
and rugby league
for Salford
. His son, Billy Gore
, played international rugby for Wales national rugby union team
the same as his father.
in a match at the Cardiff Arms Park
against Ireland
. Under the captaincy of Jack Wetter
, Gore found himself on the losing side which stopped a run of 9 successive home wins for Wales. His second game was against France and although a win for Wales, it was a poor Welsh performance caused by players being thrown out of position by the selectors decision to suspend Ossie Male
on the trip to Paris. Gore was selected later in the year to face the touring New Zealand team
. Wales were totally outclassed by the All Blacks, though the forwards put on a spirited display.
The next year Gore played his final game for Wales, when he faced England during the 1925 Championship
. Wales lost the game 12-6, and Gore played no further international union games. He switched codes to the professional league game when he joined Salford later in 1925.
Whilst Captain of Salford he played for both the England
and Wales
positioned at Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 13, during the era of contested scrums.
Many say that he played for the Great Britain rugby league side as he was of Welsh birth and was not the only Welshman to play for this side, however local Salford newspaper reports of the day clearly record: To Jack Gore our Captain, we offer our very hearty congratualtions on his selection as Loose Forward for 'England' on the occassion of the Thrid and Final Test against the All Blacks to be played at Leeds, on 15th January 1927. This match of course depends upon what transpires at the League Councils Meeing, held on Wednesday last. This honour, by the way is not unexpected, when having read Old Stagers report of the recent Wales v. All Blacks, an extract from the South Wales News which is as follows:- 'GORE, a forward who would be an acquisition to any pack of Forwards - on his showing at Pontypridd. Gore is one of the greatest Forwards Wales has ever produced - would secure a 'place' in any National side for which he was qualified'
Jack qualified to play for England because of his Fathers nationality.
Jack made his debut for Salford v St Helens on 28th February 1925 in the second row before quickly being switched to Loose Forward No 13 with great effect. Jack made 125 appearances for Salford between 1925 and 1928 scoring 29 tries. He played his last game for salford at Barrow on April 9th 1928. He was transferred to Wigan Highfield during the close season.
Jack then played for Wigan from 1928 until 1932 making 109 appearances and scoring 17 tries.
Jack eventually returned to his birth town of Blaina where he ran the local Kings Head pub. Jcak was often suspected of being a rugby league spy for Salford. It is reported that he was instrumental in spotting the great Dai Watkins, also from Blaina who followed Jack to Salford after his days as a Welsh International Rubgy star.
Gore was also a Reserve on 2nd February 1924. Played at Inverieth, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND 35 WALES 10
England 15th January 1927. Leeds
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
international rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
flanker who played 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...
for Blaina
Blaina RFC
Blaina Rugby Football Club are a Welsh rugby union club based in Blaina in the county borough of Blaenau Gwent in Wales. They presently play in the Welsh Rugby Union Division Three East league and are a feeder club for the Newport Gwent Dragons.- History :...
and 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...
for Salford
Salford City Reds
Salford City Reds are an English rugby league club based in Salford, Greater Manchester. Formed in 1873, they currently play in the Super League. They have won six Rugby Football League Championships and one Challenge Cup...
. His son, Billy Gore
Billy Gore
William "Billy" Gore was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1940s who at representative level played rugby union for Wales, and at club level for Newbridge RFC, playing at Hooker, i.e. number 2, and at club level played rugby league for Warrington, playing at , i.e...
, played international rugby for Wales national rugby union team
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
the same as his father.
Rugby career
Gore played all his rugby union for the unfashionable lower level club Blaina, though during this period the Welsh selectors would often choose tough manual workers to represent the forward positions. Gore first represented Wales in the 1924 Five Nations Championship1924 Five Nations Championship
The 1924 Five Nations Championship was the tenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-seventh series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
in a match at the Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
against Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
. Under the captaincy of Jack Wetter
Jack Wetter
Jack Wetter DCM was a Welsh international rugby union player who played club rugby predominantly for Newport. He was captain for both his club and country and earned 10 caps for Wales....
, Gore found himself on the losing side which stopped a run of 9 successive home wins for Wales. His second game was against France and although a win for Wales, it was a poor Welsh performance caused by players being thrown out of position by the selectors decision to suspend Ossie Male
Ossie Male
Ossie Male was a Welsh international full back who played club rugby for Cardiff and was capped 11 times for Wales and captained his country on three occasions. In 1924, Male was at the centre of an embarrassing decision made by the Welsh Rugby Union that prevented him facing the French rugby team...
on the trip to Paris. Gore was selected later in the year to face the touring New Zealand team
The Invincibles (rugby union)
The Invincibles was a nickname given to the 1924-25 New Zealand rugby union team which toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada. The team was captained by Cliff Porter, and numbered among its top players George Nepia and brothers Cyril and Maurice Brownlie.Between September 1924 and...
. Wales were totally outclassed by the All Blacks, though the forwards put on a spirited display.
The next year Gore played his final game for Wales, when he faced England during the 1925 Championship
1925 Five Nations Championship
The 1925 Five Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship following the inclusion of France into the Home Nations Championship. Including the previous Home Nations Championships, this was the thirty-eighth series of the annual northern hemisphere rugby...
. Wales lost the game 12-6, and Gore played no further international union games. He switched codes to the professional league game when he joined Salford later in 1925.
Whilst Captain of Salford he played for both the England
England national rugby league team
The England national rugby league team represent England in international rugby league football tournaments. The team has now seen a revival, having largely formed from the Great Britain team, who also represented Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The team is run under the auspices of the Rugby Football...
and Wales
Wales national rugby league team
The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...
positioned at Loose forward/Lock, i.e. number 13, during the era of contested scrums.
Many say that he played for the Great Britain rugby league side as he was of Welsh birth and was not the only Welshman to play for this side, however local Salford newspaper reports of the day clearly record: To Jack Gore our Captain, we offer our very hearty congratualtions on his selection as Loose Forward for 'England' on the occassion of the Thrid and Final Test against the All Blacks to be played at Leeds, on 15th January 1927. This match of course depends upon what transpires at the League Councils Meeing, held on Wednesday last. This honour, by the way is not unexpected, when having read Old Stagers report of the recent Wales v. All Blacks, an extract from the South Wales News which is as follows:- 'GORE, a forward who would be an acquisition to any pack of Forwards - on his showing at Pontypridd. Gore is one of the greatest Forwards Wales has ever produced - would secure a 'place' in any National side for which he was qualified'
Jack qualified to play for England because of his Fathers nationality.
Jack made his debut for Salford v St Helens on 28th February 1925 in the second row before quickly being switched to Loose Forward No 13 with great effect. Jack made 125 appearances for Salford between 1925 and 1928 scoring 29 tries. He played his last game for salford at Barrow on April 9th 1928. He was transferred to Wigan Highfield during the close season.
Jack then played for Wigan from 1928 until 1932 making 109 appearances and scoring 17 tries.
Jack eventually returned to his birth town of Blaina where he ran the local Kings Head pub. Jcak was often suspected of being a rugby league spy for Salford. It is reported that he was instrumental in spotting the great Dai Watkins, also from Blaina who followed Jack to Salford after his days as a Welsh International Rubgy star.
International rugby union matches played
Wales 19th January 1924. Played at St Helens, Swansea, WALES 9 ENGLAND 17 8th March 1924. Cardiff Arms Park, WALES 10 IRELAND 13 27th March 1924 Colombes, Paris. FRANCE 6 WALES 10 29th November 1924. St Helens Swansea. WALES 0 NEW ZEALAND 19Gore was also a Reserve on 2nd February 1924. Played at Inverieth, Edinburgh, SCOTLAND 35 WALES 10
International rugby league matches played
Wales 1927, 1928 6th December 1926. Played at Taff Vale Park Pontypridd (att 18,000). WALES 34 NEW ZEALAND 8 (Gores scored 2 trys)England 15th January 1927. Leeds