Isaac Cole

Isaac Cole (9 April 1886 – 30 March 1940) was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Castleford, and representative level rugby league (RL) for England and Yorkshire, and at club level for Castleford,^[2] Huddersfield, Wakefield Trinity, (York and Halifax during World War I) and Keighley playing mainly in the forwards, though occasionally on the .^[3]

Background

Cole was born in Pontefract, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, and he died aged 53 in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England.^[4]

Playing career

Club career

Cole scored six tries playing on the wing for Huddersfield on 30 January 1907 in the 63–0 victory over Liverpool City. He played for Huddersfield in the 8–19 defeat by New Zealand on Saturday 12 October 1907.^[5]

Cole didn't play in Huddersfield's 21–0 victory over Batley in the 1909 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1909–10 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 27 November 1909, in front of a crowd of 22,000,^[6]

Upon signing for Wakefield Trinity on 1 February 1910,^[7] the game against Rochdale Hornets was cancelled due to the weather, resulting in them being unable to qualify him for the cup ties,^[8] although he did receive a Yorkshire League winners medal during the 1910–11 season.

In the benefit match played for Ernest Whitehouse, on 21 December 1919, Isaac Cole played for the defeated Billy Batten XIII versus Halifax by 6–16. Ernest Whitehouse was a World War I leg amputee who had played for Whitwood Melbourne (RU), Castleford (1912), been registered with Hull F.C. (28 January 1913 – 1916) and played for York and Halifax in 1917–18. The benefit match was the first rugby league game to be played at Wheldon Road, Castleford.

Representative honours

Cole won a cap for England (RL) while at Castleford in 1906 in the 3–3 draw with Other Nationalities on Monday 1 January 1906 at Central Park, Wigan.

This game was the last 15-a-side rugby league international to be played, and 'Cole at 19 years and eight months old, was thought to have been the youngest forward of either code to have played at international level up to that time'.^[9]

In Yorkshire trial games, Isaac Cole played for "The Stripes" in the 8–13 defeat by "The Whites" at Huddersfield on Monday 25 September 1905, and "The Possibles" in the 18–15 victory over "The Probables" at Hull on Tuesday 10 October 1905.

Cole won one cap for Yorkshire in the 0–8 defeat by Lancashire at Hull on Saturday 4 November 1905, while at Castleford.

He was also selected as reserve for Yorkshire against Cumberland for the game at Whitehaven on Saturday 13 January 1906.

References

1. ^ Weight noted on signing for Huddersfield in the Yorkshire Post newspaper, Thursday 18 January 1906
2. ^ Surname, Castleford & District Almanack 1922
3. ^ surname, forename (Thursday 18 January 1906). Yorkshire Post. Yorkshire Post Newspapers. ISBN n/a
4. ^ "Death details at freebmd.org.uk". freebmd.org.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
5. ^ Claret and Gold 1895–1945 by Stanley Chadwick p.33
6. ^ Irvin Saxton (publish date tbc) "History of Rugby League – № 15 – 1909–10". Rugby Leaguer ISBN n/a
7. ^ Lindley, John "Dreadnoughts", A history of Wakefield Trinity by D. W. Armitage and J. C . Lindley p.17
8. ^ Qualification for cup ties, Wakefield Express newspaper, Saturday 5 February 1910
9. ^ The official Rugby League centenary magazine p.40