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| Full name | Thomas Harry Royal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | second quarter of 1914 Bridgend, Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | c. 1995/1996 (aged 81) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Scrum-half | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Thomas Harry Royal (1914 –c. 1995/1996) was a Welshrugby union, and professionalrugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, andcoached rugby league in the 1940s and 1950s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) forWelsh Schoolboys, andGlamorgan County RFC, and at club level forBlaengarw RFC (inBlaengarw,Bridgend), andBridgend RFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) forWales, and at club level forHuddersfield,Dewsbury (captain), andBatley (captain), as ascrum-half and coached club level rugby league (RL) forBatley.[3]
Harry Royal's birth was registered inBridgend, Wales.
He was thelandlord of the Craven Heifer Hotelpublic house (now a residential building), Victoria Road (now renamed), Springfield,Dewsbury, he opened a boys' sports club in the upper-room of the Craven Heifer Hotel, funded by amile ofpennies that were donated in Springfield area of Dewsbury, and he died aged 81.[4]
Harry Royal had a trial forWales (RU) while atBridgend RFC in the second Welsh trial atSwansea during December 1936, and woncaps forWales (RL) while atDewsbury; he playedscrum-half in the 9-12 defeat by France in the1948–49 European Rugby League Championship match atSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground,Swansea on Saturday 23 October 1948, in front of a crowd of 12,032, and playedscrum-half in the 5-12 defeat by Australia in the1948–49 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France match atSt. Helen's Rugby and Cricket Ground,Swansea on Saturday 20 November 1948, in front of a crowd of 9,224.[1]
Harry Royal playedscrum-half inDewsbury's 14-25 aggregate defeat byWigan in theChampionship Final during the1943–44 season;Tom Walsh playedscrum-half in the 9-13 first-leg defeat atCentral Park,Wigan on Saturday 13 May 1944, but Royal playedscrum-half in the 5-12 second-leg defeat atCrown Flatt,Dewsbury on Saturday 20 May 1944,[5] and playedscrum-half in the 4-13 defeat byWigan in theChampionship Final during the1946–47 season atMaine Road,Manchester on Saturday 21 June 1947.[6]
Harry Royal was transferred fromDewsbury toBatley, becomingplayer-coach on Wednesday 2 November 1949, he played his first match for Batley againstHuddersfield in theChampionship match during the1949–50 season atMount Pleasant,Batley on Saturday 12 November 1949, but this match was abandoned with Batley losing 0-4, this match was later replayed on Tuesday 4 April 1950, so this original fixture does not count toward official records. Therefore, his official début for Batley was the 23-5 victory overFeatherstone Rovers atPost Office Road,Featherstone on Saturday 19 November 1949, and he played his last match for Batley in the 3-5 defeat byOldham during the1950–51 season at theWatersheddings,Oldham on Saturday 4 November 1950.
Harry Royal was the coach ofBatley from November 1949 to November 1950, Batley finished the1949–50 season in 25th position out of 29-teams, with 10-victories, and 26-defeats, for 20-points, they reached the second-round of the1949–50 Yorkshire Cup, losing 5-12 to eventual losing semi-finalistsDewsbury atCrown Flatt,Dewsbury on Thursday 29 September 1949, and they reached the second-round of the1949–50 Challenge Cup, losing 4-12 to eventual losing finalistsWidnes atMount Pleasant,Batley on Thursday 2 March 1950.