Robert J. Greenough (1939 – 20 January 2024) was an English

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

winning professional

rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...

footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s. He played at representative level for

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and

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated ''Lancs'') is a ceremonial county in North West England. It is bordered by Cumbria to the north, North Yorkshire and West Yorkshire to the east, Greater Manchester and Merseyside to the south, and the Irish Sea to ...

, and at club level for

Warrington Warrington () is an industrial town in the Borough of Warrington, borough of the same name in Cheshire, England. The town sits on the banks of the River Mersey and was Historic counties of England, historically part of Lancashire. It is east o ...

, as a , or .

Background

Robert J. Greenough was born in 1939. His birth was registered in St. Helens district,

, England. Greenough retired to

Eday Eday (, ) is one of the islands of Orkney, which are located to the north of the Scottish mainland. One of the North Isles, Eday is about from the Orkney Mainland. With an area of , it is the ninth-largest island of the archipelago. The bedroc ...

, one of the islands of

Orkney Orkney (), also known as the Orkney Islands, is an archipelago off the north coast of mainland Scotland. The plural name the Orkneys is also sometimes used, but locals now consider it outdated. Part of the Northern Isles along with Shetland, ...

, Scotland. He died on 20 January 2024, at the age of 84.

Playing career

International honours

Greenough, won a

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for

while at Warrington in the 1960 Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand. Greenough played in the first of the three matches for Great Britain's 1960 Rugby League World Cup winning team against

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, being replaced by Jim Challinor in the second game against

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, and by

Billy Boston Sir William John Boston (born 6 August 1934) is a Welsh former professional rugby league player who played as a or . Born and raised in Cardiff, Wales, Boston started his career as a rugby union player before joining Wigan in 1953. Regarded a ...

in the last game against

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Championship final appearances

Greenough played in

's 10–25 defeat by

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in the

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Final during the 1960–61 season at

Odsal Stadium Odsal Stadium (known as Bartercard Odsal Stadium for sponsorship reasons) is a multi-purpose stadium, multipurpose stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The stadium is currently the home of Bradford Bulls rugby league football club and ...

Bradford Bradford is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in West Yorkshire, England. It became a municipal borough in 1847, received a city charter in 1897 and, since the Local Government Act 1972, 1974 reform, the city status in the United Kingdo ...

on Saturday 20 May 1961.

County Cup Final appearances

Greenough played in Warrington's 5–4 victory over St. Helens in the 1959 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1959–60 season at

Central Park Central Park is an urban park between the Upper West Side and Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City, and the first landscaped park in the United States. It is the List of parks in New York City, sixth-largest park in the ...

Wigan Wigan ( ) is a town in Greater Manchester, England. The town is midway between the two cities of Manchester, to the south-east, and Liverpool, to the south-west. It is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its ad ...

on Saturday 31 October 1959.

Club career

Greenough made his début for Warrington in the 20–16 victory over

Salford Salford ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in Greater Manchester, England, on the western bank of the River Irwell which forms its boundary with Manchester city centre. Landmarks include the former Salford Town Hall, town hall, ...

Wilderspool Stadium Wilderspool Stadium was a rugby league stadium in Warrington, England. The ground was Warrington RLFC's old ground before moving to the Halliwell Jones Stadium. History In 1898, Warrington RLFC moved to the Wilderspool Stadium. A 10-year l ...

, he scored 30-tries in the 1960–61 season, he is only one of six players to score 30-tries in a season for Warrington, and he is eighth in the list of Warrington all-time try scorers.

Honoured at Warrington

Greenough is a Warrington Wolves Hall of Fame inductee.

References

External links

Warrington’s World Cup heroes – Bobby GreenoughStatistics at wolvesplayers.thisiswarrington.co.uk
{{DEFAULTSORT:Greenough, Bobby 1939 births 2024 deaths English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from St Helens, Merseyside Rugby league wingers Warrington Wolves players 20th-century English sportsmen