Nathan Silcock (first ¼ 1904 – fourth ¼ 1967) was an English 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 1920s and 1930s. 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 ...

Rugby League XIII 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 ...

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

Widnes Widnes ( ) is an Industrial city, industrial town in the Borough of Halton, Cheshire, England, which at the 2021–2022 United Kingdom censuses, 2021 census had a population of 62,400. Historic counties of England, Historically in Lancashire, ...

(

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 ...

), as a , or .

Background

Nat Silcock's birth was registered in

West Derby West Derby ( ) is an area of Liverpool, Merseyside, England, in the east of the city. At the 2011 Census, the population was 14,382. History West Derby Mentioned in the ''Domesday Book'', West Derby achieved significance far earlier tha ...

, (

Liverpool Liverpool is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. It is situated on the eastern side of the River Mersey, Mersey Estuary, near the Irish Sea, north-west of London. With a population ...

, and his death aged 63 was registered in

, England.

Playing career

International honours

Nat Silcock represented

while at Widnes in 1934 against France, and in 1935 against France, won

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

s for

while at Widnes in 1932 against Wales (2 matches), in 1933 against Australia, in 1934 against Australia, and France, in 1935 against Wales, and in 1936 against Wales, and France, and won

s for

while at Widnes in 1932 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand (2 matches), in 1933 against Australia (3 matches), in 1936 against Australia (3 matches), and in 1937 against Australia (2 matches).

County honours

Nat Silcock played at in

's 7-5 victory over

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 ...

in the

1937–38 Kangaroo tour The 1937–38 Kangaroo tour was the sixth Kangaroo tour, in which the Australian national rugby league team travelled to New Zealand, Great Britain and France and played thirty-eight matches, including the Ashes series (rugby league), Ashes series ...

match at

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 ...

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 ...

on Wednesday 29 September 1937, in front of a crowd of 16,250.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Nat Silcock played in

' 10-3 victory over St. Helens in the

1929–30 Challenge Cup The 1929–30 Challenge Cup was the 30th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup. First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Widnes beat St Helens 10-3 in the Challenge Cup Final at Wembley p ...

Final during the 1929–30 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 ...

in front of a crowd of 36,544, played in the 5-11 defeat by

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 ...

in the

1933–34 Challenge Cup The 1933–34 Challenge Cup was the 34th staging of rugby league's oldest knockout competition, the Challenge Cup during the 1933–34 Northern Rugby Football League season, 1933–34 season. First round Second round Quarterfinals Semifina ...

Final during the 1933–34 season at

on Saturday 5 May 1934, and played, was

, and scored the fourth try in the 18-5 victory over

Keighley Keighley ( ) is a market town and a civil parishes in England, civil parish in the City of Bradford Borough of West Yorkshire, England. It is the second-largest settlement in the borough, after Bradford. Keighley is north-west of Bradford, n ...

in the

1936–37 Challenge Cup The 1936–37 Challenge Cup was the 37th tournament of rugby league's oldest trophy, the Challenge Cup. 32 clubs entered the competition which was won by Widnes who beat Keighley 18–5 in the final at Wembley Stadium on 8 May 1937. This was Wid ...

Final during the 1936–37 season at

on Saturday 8 May 1937.

County Cup Final appearances

Nat Silcock played at in

' 4-5 defeat by

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 1928–29 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1928–29 season at

on Saturday 24 November 1928.

Family details

Nat Silcock's marriage to Mary A. (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

, Andrews) was registered during fourth ¼ 1926 in

Prescot Prescot is a town and civil parish within the Metropolitan Borough of Knowsley in Merseyside, England. It lies about to the east of Liverpool city centre. At the 2001 Census, the civil parish population was 11,184 (5,265 males, 5,919 femal ...

district. They had children; the future rugby league footballer, Nat Silcock Jr., and Violet Silcock
birth registered
during fourth ¼ 1929 in

district).

References

External links

Statistics at rugby.widnes.tvHall of Fame at rugby.widnes.tv
{{DEFAULTSORT:Silcock, Nathan 1904 births 1967 deaths England national rugby league team players English rugby league players Great Britain national rugby league team players Lancashire rugby league team players People from West Derby Place of death missing Rugby league players from Liverpool Rugby league props Rugby league second-rows Rugby League XIII players Widnes Vikings captains Widnes Vikings players 20th-century English sportsmen