Derek Turner (13 November 1932 – 31 July 2015), also known by the
nickname
A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...
of "Rocky", 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 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
ed in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He played at representative level for
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
and Great Britain & France, and at club level for
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers (often abbreviated to Hull KR) are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The club play home games at Craven Park, Hull, Craven Park and compete in Super League, the top tier of B ...
,
Oldham
Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...
and
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
(
captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
), with whom he won three
Challenge Cup
The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...
Finals, as a , or more usually ,
and coached at club level for
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the t ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
and
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
.
Club career
Turner played his early rugby league at Cathedral Boys School, Wakefield, then Alverthorpe Youth Club, Balne Lane ARLFC, Ossett ARLFC, and Shaw Cross ARLFC, he began his professional rugby league career at
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers (often abbreviated to Hull KR) are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The club play home games at Craven Park, Hull, Craven Park and compete in Super League, the top tier of B ...
.
In 1955, Turner was transferred from Hull Kingston Rovers to
Oldham
Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...
for £2,750 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £165,900 in 2016).
Turner made his début for
Oldham
Oldham is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amongst the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers River Irk, Irk and River Medlock, Medlock, southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of Manchester. It is the administrative cent ...
against
Hunslet
Hunslet () is an inner-city area in south Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. It is southeast of the Leeds city centre, city centre and has an industrial past.
It is situated in the Hunslet and Riverside (ward), Hunslet and Riverside ward of Lee ...
on 3 September 1955. He was a member of the Oldham team that found success in the
Championship
In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion.
Championship systems
Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship.
Title match system
In this sys ...
of 1956–57, the
Lancashire Cup Finals of 1956–57, 1957–58 & 1958–59, and the
Lancashire League of 1956–57 & 1957–58. Whilst at Oldham, Turner won 11 of his 24 Great Britain
caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
, winning the Ashes in 1956. In March 1959, Turner was transferred from Oldham to
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
for £8,000 (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £391,700 in 2016).
At Wakefield Trinity Turner captained
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
in three
Challenge Cup
The Rugby Football League Challenge Cup, commonly known just as the Challenge Cup is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout rugby league cup competition organised by the Rugby Football League, held annually since 1896, it is the world's old ...
victories (1960, 1962 and 1963), played in the 38–5 victory over
Hull F.C. in the
1959–60 Challenge Cup Final during the
1959–60 season at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on Saturday 14 May 1960, in front of a crowd of 79,773
presented by
HM the Queen, played in the 12–6 victory over
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
in the
1961–62 Challenge Cup Final during the
1961–62 season at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on Saturday 12 May 1962, in front of a crowd of 81,263, presented by
Field Marshal Montgomery
Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, 1st Viscount Montgomery of Alamein (; 17 November 1887 – 24 March 1976), nicknamed "Monty", was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, the Irish War of Independence and the ...
, and played at in the 25–10 victory over
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 ...
in the
1962–63 Challenge Cup Final during the
1962–63 season at
Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
,
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on Saturday 11 May 1963, in front of a crowd of 84,492, presented by
Field Marshal Alexander.
Turner played in
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
's 16–10 victory over
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
in the
1960–61 Yorkshire Cup Final during the
1960–61 season at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
on Saturday 29 October 1960, and played in the 19–9 victory over
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
in the
1961–62 Yorkshire Cup
The 1961–62 Yorkshire Cup was the fifty-fourth occasion on which the Yorkshire Cup competition had been held.
Wakefield Trinity winning the trophy by beating Leeds by the score of 19-9
The match was played at Odsal in the City of Bradford, n ...
Final during the
1961–62 season at
Odsal
Odsal is an area of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Odsal Stadium is currently the home of Bradford rugby league club and YorStox F1 and F2 stock cars. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is named after the boxer who lived in Bradford at th ...
,
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 11 November 1961. Turner also captained Wakefield Trinity to victory in the
Yorkshire League during the
1958–59 season,
1959–60 season,
1961–62 season and
1962–63 season.
Whilst at Wakefield Trinity, Turner won the remaining 13 of his 24 Great Britain caps, winning the World Cup in 1960 and the Ashes in 1959 & 1962, he also won his sole England cap.
Turner retired in 1964 but returned to play a further 24 matches for Trinity in the 1965–66 season before an injury in the first match of the 1966–67 season brought his playing career to an end.
Representative career
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Turner played for
Yorkshire
Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...
against Lancashire in ten
Rugby League War of the Roses
The War of the Roses (also known in its later years as the County of Origin Series) was the annual inter-county rugby league match between the Historic counties of England, historic counties of Lancashire rugby league team, Lancashire and Yorks ...
matches, scoring two tries.
Alongside fellow Oldham player,
Alan Davies
Alan Roger Davies (; ; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer, actor and TV presenter. He is known for his portrayal of the title role in the BBC mystery drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (1997–2016) and as the only permanen ...
, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
's
1956 Kangaroo Tour of
Great Britain
Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-west coast of continental Europe, consisting of the countries England, Scotland, and Wales. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the List of European ...
, Turner was rested for the first
Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film) ...
which Great Britain won 21–10 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 ...
. Turner played in the second match which Australia won 9–22 at
Odsal
Odsal is an area of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Odsal Stadium is currently the home of Bradford rugby league club and YorStox F1 and F2 stock cars. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is named after the boxer who lived in Bradford at th ...
,
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 ...
. Turner played in the third Test as Great Britain defeated Australia 19–0 at
Station Road,
Swinton, to take the
Ashes series 2–1.
Just prior to the 1957 World Cup, Turner played in all three of Great Britain's matches against
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
, alternating between venues in Great Britain and France. Great Britain won two and drew one of the fixtures: 45–12
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
; 19–19
Stade Municipal,
Toulouse
Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
; 29–14
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road is a former football stadium in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For ...
,
St. Helens.
Alongside fellow Oldham players,
Alan Davies
Alan Roger Davies (; ; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer, actor and TV presenter. He is known for his portrayal of the title role in the BBC mystery drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (1997–2016) and as the only permanen ...
, and
Sid Little, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in the
1957 Rugby League World Cup
The 1957 Rugby League World Cup was the second World Cup held for men’s national rugby league teams and was held between 15 and 25 June and hosted by Australia. Table toppers Australia were the winners as there was no Final at this World Cup. ...
in Australia. Turner played in the 23–5 victory over France at
Sydney Cricket Ground
The Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) is a sports stadium in the Moore Park, New South Wales, Moore Park suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is used for Test cricket, Test, One Day International and Twenty20 cricket, as well as, Australi ...
,
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, the 6–31 defeat by Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, and the 29–21 defeat by
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. Australia ran out comfortable World Champions, with victories over New Zealand, Great Britain and France. Despite suffering a heavier defeat by Australia than either New Zealand or France, Great Britain's heavy victory over France in the opening match, France's narrow victory over New Zealand, and Great Britain's narrow defeat by New Zealand in the last match secured Great Britain second place overall. Great Britain had the luxury of playing all their matches at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, whereas New Zealand and France had to play at both
the Gabba
The Brisbane Cricket Ground, commonly known as the Gabba, is a major sports stadium in Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, Australia. The nickname Gabba derives from the suburb of Woolloongabba, in which it is located. Over the years, the Gab ...
,
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, and Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, which are 575-miles apart.
Turner played and scored a
try in Great Britain & France's 37–31 victory over New Zealand at
Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Parnell, a central suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It neighboured the Auckland Domain's Northern end. It was primarily used for rugby league and had a peak spectator capacity of around 28,000 in the 19 ...
,
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
on 3 July 1957.
Just after to the 1957 World Cup, Turner played in both of Great Britain's matches against France, alternating between venues in Great Britain and France. Great Britain won both tests; 14–25 at Stade Municipal, Toulouse; 44–15 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 ...
.
In 1958, Turner played for Great Britain in the 23–9 defeat by France at
Stade Lesdiguières
Stade Lesdiguières () is a multi-purpose stadium in Grenoble, France. The stadium holds 12,000 spectators (8,500 seated). It is the home of the FC Grenoble rugby union club. The name of the stadium was given in honor of François de Bonne, Duk ...
,
Grenoble
Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
.
Alongside fellow Oldham players,
Alan Davies
Alan Roger Davies (; ; born 6 March 1966) is an English stand-up comedian, writer, actor and TV presenter. He is known for his portrayal of the title role in the BBC mystery drama series ''Jonathan Creek'' (1997–2016) and as the only permanen ...
, and
Frank Pitchford, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in 1958 tour of Australia, but had to withdraw because of an injury.
Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in Australia's
1959 Kangaroo Tour of Great Britain, Turner played in first of the three matches. Australia won the first Test 22–14 at
Station Road,
Swinton. Turner was rested for the second and third of the three matches, Great Britain won the second 11–10 at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
. Great Britain won the third 18–12 at Central Park, Wigan to take the Ashes series 2–1.
Just prior to the 1960 World Cup, Turner played in all three of Great Britain's matches against France, alternating between venues in France and Great Britain. Great Britain won one, drew one and lost one of the fixtures: France won 20–18 at Stade Municipal, Toulouse. On 65 minutes a colossal brawl erupted when Georges Fages kicked Turner on the chin following Turner's tackle on Fages. When the dust settled Turner was ordered off, but five minutes elapsed before he was finally escorted from the field by
Bill Fallowfield
William Fallowfield OBE (20 July 1914 – 12 November 1985) was a British rugby league football coach and administrator of the mid-20th century.
Fallowfield was educated at Barrow Grammar School and attended St Catharine's College at the Univ ...
, secretary of the
Rugby Football League
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is the governing body for rugby league in England. Founded in 1895 as the Northern Rugby Football Union following 22 clubs resigning from the Rugby Football Union, it changed its name in 1922 to the Rugby Footb ...
. The British players waited for Fages to go, but in vain. There was 17–17 draw at Knowsley Road, St Helens; Great Britain won 21–10 at
Stade André Moga
Stade (; ), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (, ) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is located roughly to the west of Hamburg and b ...
,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...
.
Alongside fellow Wakefield Trinity player
Jack Wilkinson, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in the
1960 Rugby League World Cup
The 1960 Rugby League World Cup was the third World Cup for men’s national teams and was held between 24 September and 8 October and hosted in England. The same format used in 1957 was used, with Great Britain winning their second World Cup af ...
in Great Britain. Turner played in the 23–8 victory over New Zealand at Odsal, Bradford, rested on Saturday 1 October 1960 for the 33–7 victory over France at
Station Road, Swinton
Station Road was a stadium in Pendlebury, near Manchester, England. It was the home of Swinton Rugby League Club between 1929 and 1992 and was widely recognised as one of the finest grounds in the Rugby League.
Swinton moved to Station Road w ...
, Turner returned for the last match of the series against Australia at Odsal, Bradford. The 1960 Rugby League World Cup was run on a league basis, but with both Great Britain and Australia undefeated, the last match became a virtual World Cup Final. Great Britain become World Champions with the 10–3 victory over Australia at
Odsal
Odsal is an area of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire.
Odsal Stadium is currently the home of Bradford rugby league club and YorStox F1 and F2 stock cars. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is named after the boxer who lived in Bradford at th ...
,
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 ...
.
In 1961, Turner played for Great Britain in the 27–8 victory over France at
Knowsley Road
Knowsley Road is a former football stadium in Eccleston, St Helens, Merseyside. It was the home ground of St. Helens from 1890 until its closure in 2010. St Helens Town FC played their home fixtures at Knowsley Road from 2002 until 2010. For ...
,
St. Helens. Unusually, Turner played as a , with
Vince Karalius playing loose forward.
Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in New Zealand's 1961 Tour of Great Britain, Turner played in the first of the three matches, the 11–29 defeat by New Zealand at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
.
In 1962 Turner played his sole
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
international against France, an 18–6 victory at
Headingley
Headingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, approximately two miles out of the city centre, to the north west along the A660 road. Headingley is the location of the Beckett Park campus of Leeds Beckett University and Headingley ...
,
Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
. This was also England's sole international between
10 May 1956 and 7 November 1968. Great Britain being the primary incarnation of international representation during this period, a period that matched Turner's prominence.
Alongside fellow Wakefield Trinity players,
Neil Fox,
Harold Poynton,
Gerry Round, and Jack Wilkinson, Turner was selected for the Great Britain squad to play in
1962
The year saw the Cuban Missile Crisis, which is often considered the closest the world came to a Nuclear warfare, nuclear confrontation during the Cold War.
Events January
* January 1 – Samoa, Western Samoa becomes independent from Ne ...
tour of Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
. This Great Britain team would be the nearest to achieving a 3–0 Ashes
whitewash
Whitewash, calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, asbestis or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime ( calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes ...
of the Kangaroos on Australian turf to date.
In Australia, Turner scored a try in the 31–12 victory in the first Test at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney (before more than 70,000 fans), was rested for the 17–10 victory in the second Test in the Gabba, Brisbane (attendance 34,786), and returned for the third Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney. In the third Test of the 1962 Ashes series, Australia's
Dud Beattie suffered a broken collarbone, and knowing he would have to leave the field anyway (Substitutions not being permitted until 1964), Beattie ignited a fight with Turner, it resulted in the referee sending both players from the field. As Beattie was being half-carried from the arena by an ambulance man, Turner prodded and remonstrated with Beattie for his actions. A controversial last-minute
Ken Irvine
Kenneth John Irvine (5 March 1940 – 22 December 1990),
also nicknamed "Mongo", was an Australian professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He holds the standing Australian record for the most tries in a ...
try against the weakened defence,
Mick Sullivan
Michael Sullivan (12 January 1934 – 5 April 2016) was an English professional rugby league footballer and coach who played as a . He started his playing career at Huddersfield before joining Wigan for a record transfer fee in 1957. He won t ...
having already been sent off, and the subsequent touchline goal resulted in a 17–18 defeat, although a
whitewash
Whitewash, calcimine, kalsomine, calsomine, asbestis or lime paint is a type of paint made from slaked lime ( calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2) or chalk (calcium carbonate, CaCO3), sometimes known as "whiting". Various other additives are sometimes ...
was denied, Great Britain won the Ashes series 2–1.
After the Australia Ashes Tests, With
Eric Ashton
Eric Ashton MBE (24 January 1935 – 20 March 2008) was an English World Cup winning professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s and 1960s, and coached in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
He played his whole top flight football ...
(Captain),
Alex Murphy and
Don Fox injured, Turner took over the captaincy for the two tests in New Zealand. However, these and other injuries depleted the squad to such an extent that both tests in
Carlaw Park
Carlaw Park was a multi-purpose stadium in Parnell, a central suburb of Auckland, New Zealand. It neighboured the Auckland Domain's Northern end. It was primarily used for rugby league and had a peak spectator capacity of around 28,000 in the 19 ...
, Auckland were lost 0–19 and 8–27.
After the New Zealand Tests, only fourteen players from the original squad of twenty-five were uninjured, thirteen of whom went on to play three exhibition matches in South Africa. Despite being top try scorer, with 22 tries in the tests,
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 ...
could not be considered for selection purely due to the colour of his skin, as this was apartheid-era South Africa. Consequently, coach
Colin Hutton
Colin C. Hutton (May 1926 – 3 February 2017) was an English rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, and coached rugby league in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played at club level for Widnes a ...
became a stand-in reserve. The squad for the South African exhibition matches was;
Eric Fraser (
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 ...
);
Ike Southward (
Workington Town
Workington Town is a semi-professional rugby league club based in Workington, West Cumbria, England. The club plays home games at Derwent Park and competes in the RFL League One, League One, the third tier of British rugby league system, Briti ...
),
Peter Small
Peter Eltringham Small (born 13 February 1939) is an English former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Castleford RUFC, and representative le ...
(
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the t ...
),
Neil Fox (
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
),
Mick Sullivan
Michael Sullivan (12 January 1934 – 5 April 2016) was an English professional rugby league footballer and coach who played as a . He started his playing career at Huddersfield before joining Wigan for a record transfer fee in 1957. He won t ...
(
St. Helens);
Dave Bolton
David Ralph Bolton (27 April 1937 – 21 January 2021) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, who later became a coach in Australia's NSWRFL premiership. An international representative fo ...
(
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 ...
),
Harold Poynton (
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
);
Jack Wilkinson (
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
), John Shaw (
Halifax),
Ken Noble (
Huddersfield
Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...
),
Laurie Gilfedder (
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 ...
),
Dick Huddart
Richard Huddart (22 June 1936 – 11 August 2021) was an English professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. A Great Britain and England international representative forward, he played at club level in England ...
(
St. Helens), Derek Turner (
Wakefield Trinity
Wakefield Trinity is a professional rugby league club in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. The club play their home fixtures at the DIY Kitchen Stadium, Belle Vue (Wakefield), Belle Vue and currently compete in the Super League, the top tier o ...
); Reserve:
Colin Hutton
Colin C. Hutton (May 1926 – 3 February 2017) was an English rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s and 1950s, and coached rugby league in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He played at club level for Widnes a ...
(
Hull Kingston Rovers
Hull Kingston Rovers (often abbreviated to Hull KR) are a professional rugby league club based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire, England. The club play home games at Craven Park, Hull, Craven Park and compete in Super League, the top tier of B ...
).
In 1962, Turner played his last match for Great Britain in the 17–12 defeat by France at Stade Gilbert Brutus,
Perpignan
Perpignan (, , ; ; ) is the prefectures in France, prefecture of the Pyrénées-Orientales departments of France, department in Southern France, in the heart of the plain of Roussillon, at the foot of the Pyrenees a few kilometres from the Me ...
.
Coaching career
After retiring from the field Turner was head coach for
Castleford
Castleford is a town within the City of Wakefield district, West Yorkshire, England. It had a population of 45,106 at a 2021 population estimate. Historic counties of England, Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, to the north of the t ...
at
Wheldon Road from 1966 until Saturday 24 May 1969, and is regarded as the best Castleford coach of all time.
During his period as coach Castleford won the Challenge Cup in 1969 as well as reaching the Yorkshire Cup Final and Premiership Final.
[
Leaving Castleford Turner became coach at ]Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
between 1969 and 1972. He coached Leeds to victory in the Championship Final in 1972.[
Derek Turner was the ]coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
in Leeds
Leeds is a city in West Yorkshire, England. It is the largest settlement in Yorkshire and the administrative centre of the City of Leeds Metropolitan Borough, which is the second most populous district in the United Kingdom. It is built aro ...
' 7–24 defeat by Leigh
Leigh may refer to:
Places In England
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Greater Manchester, Borough of Wigan
** Leigh (UK Parliament constituency)
* Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Pronounced :
* Leigh, Dorset
* Leigh, Gloucestershire
* Leigh, Kent
* Leigh, Staffor ...
in the 1970–71 Challenge Cup Final during the 1970–71 season at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on Saturday 15 May 1971, in front of a crowd of 85,514, and was the coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Coac ...
in the 13–16 defeat by St. Helens in the 1971–72 Challenge Cup Final during the 1971–72 season at Wembley Stadium
Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
, London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
on Saturday 13 May 1972, in front of a crowd of 89,495
Turner was Head Coach
A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...
for Wakefield Trinity at Belle Vue from July 1983 until February 1984.
Outside rugby league
Turner appeared in the 1963 film ''This Sporting Life
''This Sporting Life'' is a 1963 British kitchen sink realism, kitchen sink drama (film and television), drama film directed by Lindsay Anderson. Based on the This Sporting Life (novel), 1960 novel of the same name by David Storey, which won th ...
''. The film's director, Lindsay Anderson
Lindsay Gordon Anderson (17 April 1923 – 30 August 1994) was a British feature-film, theatre and documentary director, film critic, and leading light of the Free Cinema movement and of the British New Wave. He is most widely remembered fo ...
, instructed Turner to make a scene where the main character Frank Machin loses seven teeth, following a scrum, look realistic. Richard Harris
Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. Having studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, he rose to prominence as an icon of the British New Wave. He received numerous a ...
who was playing Frank Machin was knocked out
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, a ...
, and filming for the day was abandoned.[
For a number of years, Turner and his son Darren ran a removals business, Derek Turner Ltd, based in ]Ossett
Ossett is a market town in the Wakefield district, in the county of West Yorkshire, England. Historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, it is situated between Dewsbury, Horbury and Wakefield. At the 2021 census, the town had a po ...
near Wakefield
Wakefield is a cathedral city in West Yorkshire, England located on the River Calder. The city had a population of 109,766 in the 2021 census, up from 99,251 in the 2011 census. The city is the administrative centre of the wider Metropolit ...
.
Peer accolades
In 2003, BBC Rugby League commentator Ray French was asked to name the six 'hardest' men ever to play Rugby League, he named Turner along with; Vince Karalius, Barrie McDermott
Barrie "Baz" McDermott (born 22 July 1972) is a former professional rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1990s and 2000s.
A Great Britain international representative , he played his club football at Oldham, Wigan, the Leeds Rhinos ...
, Ray Price
Noble Ray Price (January 12, 1926 – December 16, 2013) was an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. His wide-ranging baritone is regarded as among the best male voices of country music, and his innovations, such as prope ...
, Gorden Tallis
Gorden James Tallis (born 27 July 1973), also known by the nickname of "Raging Bull" for his on-field aggression, is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1990s and 2000s. He is currently a commentator and ...
& Cliff Watson.
According to Lion Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas Jackson (born September 17, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player, coach, and executive in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Jackson is a 13-time NBA champion, having won two as a player and 11 as ...
"Vince Karalius was much lauded here as one of the best loose forwards to go (to Australia) and I reckon Derek Turner were 'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''a better player".
Death and legacy
Turner died on 31 July 2015, aged 82. In 2018, he was posthumously inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.
References
Sources
*
*
Notes
External links
A .ram Audio file of Derek Turner Receiving Challenge Cup from Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
The Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust > Hall of Fame
*(archived by web.archive.org
Vote for rugby league's greatest ever British XIII
*
Rugby League Cup Final 1960
Wakefield Win Cup 1962
Rugby League Final 1963
{{DEFAULTSORT:Turner, Derek
1932 births
2015 deaths
Castleford Tigers coaches
England national rugby league team players
English rugby league coaches
English rugby league players
Great Britain & France rugby league team players
Great Britain national rugby league team captains
Great Britain national rugby league team players
Hull Kingston Rovers players
Leeds Rhinos coaches
Oldham R.L.F.C. players
Rugby league players from Wakefield
Rugby league locks
Rugby league second-rows
Wakefield Trinity captains
Wakefield Trinity coaches
Wakefield Trinity players
Yorkshire rugby league team players
20th-century English sportsmen