{{short description|British Lions international rugby union & rugby league footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}} {{Use British English|date=September 2016}} {{Infobox rugby biography | name = Gordon Bonner | image =Gordon Bonner 1930.jpg | caption =Bonner in New Zealand in 1930 | birth_name = William Gordon MacGregor Bonner | birth_date ={{birth date|df=y|1907|09|08}} | birth_place = [[Wakefield]], [[England]] | death_date = {{death date and age|df=y|1985|06|01|1907|9|8}} | school = [[Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Wakefield]] | ru_position = [[fullback (rugby union)|Fullback]] | amatyears1 = | amatteam1 = [[Bradford RFC|Bradford]] | ru_amupdate = | repteam1 = [[British and Irish Lions]] | repyears1 = 1930 | repcaps1 = 0 | reppoints1 = 0 | ru_ntupdate = | module = {{infobox rugby league biography | embed = yes | position = {{rlp|FB}} | club1 = [[Wakefield Trinity]] | year1start = 1932 | year1end = 36 | appearances1 = 79 | points1 = 65 | club2 = [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]] | year2start = 1937 | year2end = 39 | appearances2 = 2 | points2 = 0 }} }}
'''Gordon Bonner''' (1907-1985) was a [[rugby union]] international who was part of the [[British and Irish Lions]] team that [[1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia|toured New Zealand and Australia in 1930]]. He never represented England, and later changed code to play [[Rugby league]].
==Early life== William Gordon MacGregor Bonner was born in 1907 in [[Wakefield]], [[West Riding of Yorkshire]]. He was the son of Arthur Alexander Bonner, a cattle dealer<ref>Yorkshire Evening Post West Yorkshire, England, 4 March 1952</ref> and also magistrate for Wakefield.<ref>Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer West Yorkshire, England, 29 July 1939</ref> His father was also a prominent member of the Rugby League establishment, at one time being president of the [[Wakefield Trinity]] rugby league club, and also between 1936 and 1938 was chairman of the [[Rugby Football League]] Council.<ref>Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer West Yorkshire, England, 5 March 1952</ref>
William went on to be educated at [[Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield]].<ref>[http://www.wgsf.org.uk/assets/wgsf/cms/library/documents/f3872733001e11dd4375c68585f390b6.pdf QEGS Rugby] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161021104754/http://www.wgsf.org.uk/assets/wgsf/cms/library/documents/f3872733001e11dd4375c68585f390b6.pdf |date=21 October 2016 }}. Wakefield Grammar School Foundation official website.</ref>
==Rugby career== Bonner went on to play for Bradford and for Yorkshire as fullback. He played in ten of the matches on the [[1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia|toured New Zealand and Australia in 1930]] at [[fullback (rugby union)|fullback]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160810124843/http://www.lionsrugby.com/12862.php?player=74942&includeref=dynamic Gordon Bonner]. British and Irish Lions player archive</ref> but he did not play in any of the tests. He scored two conversions during these games. Despite playing for the British team, he was never selected for [[England national rugby union team|England]].
===Rugby league club career=== Gordon Bonner made his début for [[Wakefield Trinity]] during September 1932, as a full-back he played 79-matches, scoring 1-try, and 31-goals, for 65-points.<ref name="autogenerated1934">Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer West Yorkshire, England, 29 August 1934</ref> He later played for [[Castleford Tigers|Castleford]].
==Personal life== William Bonner married Mary ([[Given name#name at birth|née]] Wood) in August 1934.<ref name="autogenerated1934"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{British and Irish Lions 1930}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonner, Gordon}} [[Category:1907 births]] [[Category:1985 deaths]] [[Category:Bradford RFC players]] [[Category:British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England]] [[Category:Castleford Tigers players]] [[Category:English rugby league players]] [[Category:English rugby union players]] [[Category:People educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield]] [[Category:Rugby league fullbacks]] [[Category:Rugby league players from Wakefield]] [[Category:Rugby union fullbacks]] [[Category:Rugby union players from Wakefield]] [[Category:Wakefield Trinity players]] [[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]