Thomas Gisborne Gordon
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gisborne Gordon, was a rugby football
player who played for North of Ireland F.C. and represented Ireland
. He has the distinction of being the only one-handed/armed man ever to play international rugby (union
or league
).
, Ulster
in 1851. He was educated at Rugby School
in the town of Rugby
, Warwickshire
, England before returning home to play his club rugby at North of Ireland F.C. (NIFC) and to work as a wine merchant. He only had one hand, his left, having lost the right one in a shooting accident. He married Marie Louise Graham in 1890 and the couple had two children, Helen, born in July 1891 and Thomas, born August 1899. He died in 1935, at the age of 83.
Gordon's obituary in the Rugby Football Annual described him as "keenly interested in horse racing and breeding horses." Isabel Giberne Sieveking's A turning point in the Indian mutiny is dedicated to him.
making his debut in the first rugby international played between 15-a-side teams: England
v Ireland at The Oval
on 5 February 1877, a game which England won by 2 goals & 2 tries to nil. Previous to this, rugby had been played with 20-a-side teams. He won his second cap against Scotland
before completing his international career against the English in 1878 at Lansdowne Road
in the first rugby test played at the venue. Previous matches were held at the Leinster Cricket Club
in Rathmines
. He played Test rugby at Half-back and at club level in the Three-quarter line.
, England. In a Devon derby against Plymouth RFC on 30 January 1886, Wakeham kicked thirteen conversions from thirteen attempts, creating what is claimed to be a record for English club rugby at the time.
Danny Crates
, is the Paralympic world record holder in 800m sprinting
, and has won gold medals in a number of international competitions, including the Paralympic Games
. He also plays competitive rugby
and is a qualified diving instructor. However, Crates has not played rugby at international level. He has carried the Olympic Torch twice.
Jock Wemyss
who played at prop for lost an eye during World War I
, but continued to play after the conflict.
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:...
player who played for North of Ireland F.C. and represented 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...
. He has the distinction of being the only one-handed/armed man ever to play international 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...
or 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...
).
Biography
Thomas Gisborne Gordon was born in BelfastBelfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
in 1851. He was educated at Rugby School
Rugby School
Rugby School is a co-educational day and boarding school located in the town of Rugby, Warwickshire, England. It is one of the oldest independent schools in Britain.-History:...
in the town of Rugby
Rugby, Warwickshire
Rugby is a market town in Warwickshire, England, located on the River Avon. The town has a population of 61,988 making it the second largest town in the county...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, England before returning home to play his club rugby at North of Ireland F.C. (NIFC) and to work as a wine merchant. He only had one hand, his left, having lost the right one in a shooting accident. He married Marie Louise Graham in 1890 and the couple had two children, Helen, born in July 1891 and Thomas, born August 1899. He died in 1935, at the age of 83.
Gordon's obituary in the Rugby Football Annual described him as "keenly interested in horse racing and breeding horses." Isabel Giberne Sieveking's A turning point in the Indian mutiny is dedicated to him.
Playing career
Thomas Gisborne Gordon gained three caps for Ireland,making his debut in the first rugby international played between 15-a-side teams: 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...
v Ireland at The Oval
The Oval
The Kia Oval, still commonly referred to by its original name of The Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, in the London Borough of Lambeth. In the past it was also sometimes called the Kennington Oval...
on 5 February 1877, a game which England won by 2 goals & 2 tries to nil. Previous to this, rugby had been played with 20-a-side teams. He won his second cap against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
before completing his international career against the English in 1878 at Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road
Lansdowne Road was a stadium in Dublin owned by the Irish Rugby Football Union that has been the location of a number of sports stadiums. It was used primarily for rugby union and for association football matches as well as some music concerts...
in the first rugby test played at the venue. Previous matches were held at the Leinster Cricket Club
Leinster Cricket Club
Leinster Cricket Club was founded in Rathgar in 1852. The Dublin sports club now hosts tennis, squash, table tennis, bowls and cricket. The Leinster Sports Club complex is situated in the Observatory Lane ground, in the heart of Rathmines...
in Rathmines
Rathmines
Rathmines is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre. It effectively begins at the south side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to the south, Ranelagh to the east and Harold's Cross to the west.Rathmines has...
. He played Test rugby at Half-back and at club level in the Three-quarter line.
Other disabled rugby players
While Thomas Gisborne Gordon is the only amputee to have appeared in international rugby, some others have appeared in club matches over the years. One such example was a player by the name of Wakeham, who played for Newton Abbot RFC in DevonDevon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, England. In a Devon derby against Plymouth RFC on 30 January 1886, Wakeham kicked thirteen conversions from thirteen attempts, creating what is claimed to be a record for English club rugby at the time.
Danny Crates
Danny Crates
Daniel "Danny" Brian Crates, is a former British athlete, who specialised in 800m sprinting. He is the Paralympic world record holder in this event, and won gold medals in a number of international competitions, including the Paralympic Games. He also plays competitive rugby and is a qualified...
, is the Paralympic world record holder in 800m sprinting
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
, and has won gold medals in a number of international competitions, including the Paralympic Games
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games are a major international multi-sport event where athletes with a physical disability compete; this includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and Cerebral Palsy. There are Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which are held immediately following their...
. He also plays competitive rugby
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...
and is a qualified diving instructor. However, Crates has not played rugby at international level. He has carried the Olympic Torch twice.
Jock Wemyss
Jock Wemyss
Andrew "Jock" Wemyss was a Scottish rugby union player, who played at prop. Wemyss lost one of his eyes in World War I, but continued to play after the war ....
who played at prop for lost an eye during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but continued to play after the conflict.
See also
- Douglas BaderDouglas BaderGroup Captain Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader CBE, DSO & Bar, DFC & Bar, FRAeS, DL was a Royal Air Force fighter ace during the Second World War. He was credited with 20 aerial victories, four shared victories, six probables, one shared probable and 11 enemy aircraft damaged.Bader joined the...
, English amputee flying ace, who had previously played for Harlequin F.C.Harlequin F.C.The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop... - 1876–77 Home Nations rugby union matches
- 1877–78 Home Nations rugby union matches
- Quad rugby, a sport influenced by rugby played in wheelchairs.
Other one-handed sportspeople
- Logan AldridgeLogan AldridgeWesley Logan Aldridge is a lacrosse player and wakeboarder in Raleigh, North Carolina. He is most well known for rebounding after losing his left arm in a wakeboarding accident in June 2004 in Lake Gaston on the Virginia-North Carolina border, returning to his favorite sports, and achieving at...
, lacrosse player. - Pete GrayPete GrayPete Gray was a professional baseball player best known for playing in the major leagues despite having lost his right arm in a childhood accident.-Early life:...
, a one armed professional baseballBaseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. - Bobby Martin (American football)
- Willie McQueenWillie McQueenWillie McQueen is a double amputee from Flint, Michigan who gained substantial renown by starting for his school's football team.In 1994, McQueen lost both of his legs after a train accident in Birmingham, Alabama...
- Brice TaylorBrice TaylorBrice Union Taylor was the first All-American football player at the University of Southern California.-High school career:Taylor played at Franklin High School in Seattle, Washington.-College career:...
, one handed American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player.