Johnny Rae (rugby league)

John "Johnny" Rae (c. 1942 – 2021) was a professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s. He played at representative level for Great Britain, and at club level for Oldham and Bradford Northern, as a loose forward.

John Rae
Personal information
Full nameJohn Rae
Bornc. 1942
Pica, Cumberland, England
Died2021 (aged 79)[1]
Playing information
PositionLoose forward
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1961–64 Oldham 41 12 0 0 36
1964–68 Bradford Northern 132 40 9 0 138
Total 173 52 9 0 174
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1965 Great Britain 1 0 0 0 0
Source: [2]

Early life

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Rae grew up in Pica, a village located between Whitehaven and Workington.[3]

Playing career

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Club career

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Rae was signed from amateur club Wath Brow by Oldham, and made his debut for the club in March 1961.[3]

Rae joined Bradford Northern in 1964, and played loose forward in the club's 17–8 victory over Hunslet in the 1965 Yorkshire Cup Final at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 16 October 1965.

A knee injury forced him to retire from the sport at the age of 27.[1]

International honours

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Johnny Rae won a cap for Great Britain while at Bradford Northern in 1965 against New Zealand.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ex-Bradford and Great Britain loose forward Johnny Rae dies". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 24 March 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b "John Rae RIP". Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust. 27 March 2021. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
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