{{Short description|Great Britain and Wales dual-code rugby footballer}} {{Use British English|date=April 2015}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2026}} {{Infobox rugby league biography |name = Ben Gronow |fullname = Benjamin Gronow |image = Benjamin Gronow.jpg |imagesize = |caption = |birth_date = 10 March 1887 |birth_place = Bridgend, Wales |death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1967|11|24|1887|03|10}} |death_place = Huddersfield, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |height = |weight = |first = RU |ru_position = Forwards |ru_club1 = Bridgend |ru_year1start = 190? |ru_year1end = 10 |ru_appearances1 = |ru_tries1 = |ru_goals1 = |ru_fieldgoals1 = |ru_points1 = |ru_club2 = Glamorgan County |ru_year2start = |ru_year2end = |ru_appearances2 = |ru_tries2 = |ru_goals2 = |ru_fieldgoals2 = |ru_points2 = |ru_teamA = Wales |ru_yearAstart = 1910 |ru_yearAend = |ru_appearancesA = 4 |ru_triesA = 1 |ru_goalsA = 0 |ru_fieldgoalsA = 0 |ru_pointsA = 3 |position = Forward |club1 = Huddersfield |year1start = 1910 |year1end = 25 |appearances1 = 392 |tries1 = 80 |goals1 = 667 |fieldgoals1 = 0 |points1 = 1574 |club2 = [http://www.sportingpulse.com/club_info.cgi?c=7-2191-25181-0-0 Grenfell] |year2start = 1926 |year2end = 27 |appearances2 = |tries2 = |goals2 = |fieldgoals2 = |points2 = |club3 = Huddersfield |year3start = 1927 |year3end = 28 |appearances3 = 3 |tries3 = 0 |goals3 = 6 |fieldgoals3 = 0 |points3 = 12 |club4 = Batley |year4start = 1928 |year4end = 29 |appearances4 = 16 |tries4 = 0 |goals4 = 22 |fieldgoals4 = 0 |points4 = 44 |club5 = Featherstone |year5start = 1929 |year5end = 30 |appearances5 = 23 |tries5 = 2 |goals5 = 43 |fieldgoals5 = 0 |points5 = 92 |teamA = Wales |yearAstart = 1910 |yearAend = 23 |appearancesA = 8 |triesA = 0 |goalsA = 9 |fieldgoalsA = 0 |pointsA = 18 |teamB = Great Britain |yearBstart = 1911 |yearBend = 20 |appearancesB = 7 |triesB = 0 |goalsB = 11 |fieldgoalsB = 0 |pointsB = 22 |teamC = Other Nationalities |yearCstart = 1921 |yearCend = |appearancesC = 2 |triesC = 1 |goalsC = 5 |fieldgoalsC = 0 |pointsC = 13 |ru_coachteam1 = Morley |ru_coachyear1start = |ru_coachyear1end = |ru_coachgames1 = |ru_coachwins1 = |ru_coachdraws1 = |new = yes |retired = yes |updated = 27 July 2020 |source = <ref name="Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)">{{cite web|url=http://en.espn.co.uk/wales/rugby/player/2062.html|title=Statistics at en.espn.co.uk (RU)|publisher=en.espn.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at wru.co.uk (RU)">{{cite web|url=http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?player=25989&includeref=dynamic|title=Statistics at wru.co.uk (RU)|publisher=wru.co.uk|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308104717/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_player_archive.php?player=25989&includeref=dynamic|archive-date=8 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/ben-gronow/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2017|accessdate=1 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Rugby league records |id=8924 |title=Ben Gronow |access-date=29 July 2025}}</ref> }}
'''Benjamin Gronow''' (10 March 1887<ref name="Birth details at freebmd.org.uk">{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=CC0qDs72fL2DPpTrZUnHPw&scan=1|title=Birth details at freebmd.org.uk|publisher=freebmd.org.uk|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}</ref> – 24 November 1967) was a Welsh dual-code international rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s, 1910s and 1920s. At club level Gronow played under the union code for Bridgend RFC, county rugby for Glamorgan, and international rugby for Wales. He was often used as a utility forward. When he switched to professional league rugby he represented Huddersfield (two spells), Grenfell, Batley and Featherstone Rovers (captain),<ref name="Bailey, Ron 1956">Bailey, Ron (1956). ''The Official History Of Featherstone Rovers R.L.F.C.''. Wakefield Express. ASIN: B00O1TLDPC</ref> while at representative level, Gronow played for Great Britain and Wales. His playing position varied under the league code being used as a goal-kicking forward.<ref>{{cite book|first1= Graham|last1= Williams|first2= Peter|last2= Lush|first3= David|last3= Farrar|title= The British Rugby League Records Book|publisher= London League|isbn= 978-1-903659-49-6|year= 2009|pages= 108–114}}</ref>
==Playing career==
While playing rugby union at Bridgend RFC, in 1910 Gronow won four caps for Wales. Gronow won eight caps for Wales under the league code, between 1910 and 1923 while playing for Huddersfield. Gronow was also capped for the Great Britain rugby league team while at Huddersfield, in 1911 against Australia (2 matches), and after being selected for the 1920 Great Britain Lions tour of Australasia, against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand (3 matches).
Ben Gronow played as a forward in Huddersfield's 2–8 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1910 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1910–11 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 3 December 1910, played as a forward and scored 4-goals in the 18–8 victory over Dewsbury in the 1918–19 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1918–19 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 17 May 1919, played as a forward and scored 3-goals in the 24–5 victory over Leeds in the 1919–20 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1919–20 season at Thrum Hall, Halifax on Saturday 29 November 1919, and played as a forward and scored a goal in the 4–10 defeat by Hull F.C. in the 1923 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1923–24 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 24 November 1923.
Gronow also played at least one game for the Other Nationalities team, on 5 February 1921 against England. The game was notable for the Other Nationalities side being entirely composed of Welsh players; but despite approaches to have the game recognised as a 'Wales' v England encounter the rugby league authorities refused to accept the request.<ref>{{cite book|last=Gate|first=Robert|title=Gone North: Volume 1|year=1986|publisher=R.E. Gate|location=Ripponden|page=154|isbn= 0-9511190-0-1}}</ref> Gronow became one of less than twenty-five Welshmen to have scored more than 1000-points in their rugby league career.<ref>Robert Gate (1988). "Gone North – Volume 2". R. E. Gate. {{ISBN|0-9511190-3-6}}</ref>
Gronow was selected for Great Britain while at Huddersfield for the 1924 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, he did not play in any of the Test matches on this tour.<ref name="The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884-1942), 14 April 1924, Page 12">{{cite web|url=http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article/singfreepressb19240414.2.83.aspx|title=The Singapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser (1884–1942), 14 April 1924, Page 12|publisher=newspapers.nl.sg|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}</ref>
In 1925 Gronow became the first British player to move down under when he went from Huddersfield to Grenfell, New South Wales as their coach but returned two years later.<ref>{{cite book|last= Collins, Tony|author-link= Tony Collins (historian)|title=Rugby League in Twentieth Century Britain|year=2006|publisher=Routledge|location=UK|isbn=0203088352|page=126|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=J6nXcpxXzWsC}}</ref>
Ben Gronow made his début for Featherstone Rovers on Wednesday 13 March 1929.<ref name="Bailey, Ron 20 September 2001">Bailey, Ron (20 September 2001). ''Images of Sport - Featherstone Rovers Rugby League Football Club''. The History Press. {{ISBN|0752422952}}</ref>
Ben Gronow appears to have scored no drop-goals (or field-goals as they are currently known in Australasia), but prior to the 1974–75 season all goals, whether; conversions, penalties, or drop-goals, scored 2-points, consequently prior to this date drop-goals were often not explicitly documented, therefore '0' drop-goals may indicate drop-goals not recorded, rather than no drop-goals scored. In addition, prior to the 1949–50 season, the archaic field-goal was also still a valid means of scoring points.
==Coaching career== Gronow was the coach for rugby union team Morley R.F.C. in the 1930s, however when a history of the club was produced some years later, due to his previous rugby league associations, he was identified as 'unknown' in a team photograph.<ref>David Lawrenson (2007). "The Rugby League Miscellany [Page-59]". Vision Sports Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-905326-30-3}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.bridgendravens.co.uk/Teams/Player?personid=103587 Statistics at bridgendravens.co.uk] *(archived by archive.is) {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20040804222633/http://www.rl1895.com/gronow.htm The Ben Gronow Mystery]}}
{{Huddersfield - 1912–13 Challenge Cup Final winners}} {{Huddersfield - 1914–15 All Four Cups winners}} {{Huddersfield Giants Hall of Fame Inductees}} {{Great Britain squad – 1920 Australia & New Zealand Tourists}} {{Great Britain squad – 1924 Australia & New Zealand Tourists}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gronow, Ben}} Category:1887 births Category:1967 deaths Category:20th-century Welsh sportsmen Category:Batley Bulldogs players Category:Bridgend RFC players Category:Dual-code rugby internationals Category:Featherstone Rovers captains Category:Featherstone Rovers players Category:Glamorgan County RFC players Category:Great Britain national rugby league team players Category:Huddersfield Giants players Category:Other Nationalities rugby league team players Category:Rugby league forwards Category:Rugby league players from Bridgend Category:Rugby union forwards Category:Rugby union players from Bridgend Category:Wales international rugby union players Category:Wales national rugby league team players Category:Welsh rugby league players Category:Welsh rugby union coaches Category:Welsh rugby union players