Tom Brophy (rugby)

For the association football (soccer) player, see Tom Brophy.

Tom Brophy

Birth name	Thomas John Brophy
Date of birth	8 July 1942
Place of birth	Liverpool
University	Loughborough College
Rugby league career
Position(s) Centre
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly-half Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) -1966 Loughborough Colleges swapped to Rugby League () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1964-1966 England 8 Pts:0; Tries:0; Conv:0; Pens:0; Drop:0

Tom Brophy is a former a rugby union international who represented England from 1964 to 1966. In 1966 he swapped codes to become a rugby league player for Barrow.

Early life

Tom Brophy was born on 8 July 1942 in Liverpool. He studied chemistry at Loughborough College, where he played for Loughborough Colleges, the forerunner of the Loughborough Students Rugby Union Football Club. He became a chemistry teacher in Rossall before his move into rugby league.

Rugby union career

Brophy made his international debut on 8 February 1964 at Twickenham in the England vs Ireland match. Of the 8 matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on just one occasion. He played his final match for England on 26 February 1966 at Colombes in the France vs England match.

Brophy's union career finished in 1966 when, on 3 October, he signed for Barrow. He had been due to appear in the first England RU trial at the end of the week.

Rugby League career

Within a year of joining Barrow, Brophy was in the team that made it to the 1967 Challenge Cup final. This had been the first appearance in a decade. They lost before a crowd of 76,290 to Featherstone Rovers 17-12 despite going into the game as favourites.

In 1972 he signed for Rochdale Hornets in an exchange deal that took Joe Chamberlain to the north Lancashire club. Here, Brophy did his best work in the centre, forming a good partnership with Norman Brelsford.

Tom Brophy played Centre, i.e. number 3, in Rochdale Hornets' 16-27 defeat by Warrington in the 1973-74 Player's No.6 Trophy final during the 1973–74 season at Central Park, Wigan on Saturday 9 February 1974.

Tom Brophy played Stand-off/Five-eighth in Salford's 0-0 draw with Warrington in the 1974 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy final during the 1974–75 season at The Willows, Salford on Tuesday 17 December 1974, and did not play (Ken Gill played Stand-off/Five-eighth) in the 10-5 victory over Warrington in the 1974 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy final replay during the 1974–75 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Tuesday 28 January 1975.

Further reading

• Rugby Magazine - August 1964 - Profile of Tom Brophy, Loughborough College & England.

External links

• Back on the Wembley trail