Jimmy Ledgard

James "Jimmy" A. Ledgard (9 June 1922 in Wakefield^[1] – 26 January 2007 in Dewsbury) was an English rugby union and Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1940s and 1950s, and coach of the 1960s, playing club level rugby union (RU) for Sandal RUFC, and playing representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Dewsbury (twice), and Leigh, as a Fullback, i.e. number 1, and coaching at club level for Bradford Northern.

He left Dewsbury for a record fee of £2,650 in January 1948, bought by Leigh, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £218,400 in 2013).^[2]

Ledgard made 334 appearances for Leigh after joining the club from Dewsbury in 1948, scoring a record 1,043 goals for the club as well as 36 tries. He played for the club until 1958.

He was part of the Great Britain side that won the 1954 World Cup, winning his 11th and last cap in the 16-12 win over France in the final.

Playing career

International honours

Jimmy Ledgard won caps for England while at Dewsbury in 1947 against France (2 matches), and Wales, while at Leigh in 1948 against Wales, in 1949 against France, and Other Nationalities, in 1951 against Wales, and France, in 1952 against Other Nationalities (2 matches), and Wales, in 1953 against Wales, in 1955 against Other Nationalities,^[3] and won caps for Great Britain while at Dewsbury in 1947 against New Zealand (2 matches), while at Leigh in 1948 against Australia, in 1950 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand, in 1951 against New Zealand, and in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup against France (5-goals), Australia (2-goals), New Zealand (1-try, 4-goals), France (2-goals) (World Cup 1954 4-caps, 1-try, 13-goals).^[4]

Jimmy Ledgard played Fullback in all four of Great Britain's 1954 Rugby League World Cup matches, including Great Britain’s 16-12 victory over France in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup final at Parc des Princes, Paris on 13 November 1954.

As of September 2008, With 23 goals, Jimmy is still 4th in the list of England's all-time Goal Scorers (behind George Fairbairn, Andrew Farrell, & Ernest Ward, and with 52 points he is also 4th in the list of England's all-time Point Scorers (behind George Fairbairn, Andrew Farrell & Ernest Ward).

County honours

Jimmy Ledgard played Fullback in Yorkshire's 3-12 defeat by Lancashire in the 1949 Rugby League County Championship final during the 1948–49 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Tuesday 3 May 1949, in front of a crowd of 7,000.^[5]

Championship final appearances

Jimmy Ledgard played Fullback, and scored a drop goal in Dewsbury's 4-13 defeat to Wigan in the Championship final during the 1946–47 season at Maine Road, Manchester on Saturday 21 June 1947.^[6]

County Cup final appearances

Jimmy Ledgard played Fullback, and scored 2-conversions in Leigh's 7-20 defeat by Wigan in the 1949 Lancashire Cup final during the 1949–50 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 29 October 1949,^[7] and played Fullback in the 6-14 defeat by Wigan in the 1951 Lancashire Cup final during the 1951–52 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 27 October 1951.^[8]

References

External links

• England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
• Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk
• Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org
• When League was the new TV game
• Jimmy Ledgard – Gentlemanly rugby league full-back
• Obituary: Mr Jimmy Ledgard