Jim Sullivan

Jim Sullivan (1903-1977) was a Welsh rugby league footballer and coach. A full-back and prodigious goalkicker, he scored 6,022 points in a career that spanned 25 years.

Sullivan joined Wigan in June 1921 from Cardiff Rugby Union Club as a 17-year-old. On 14 February 1925, he landed 22 against amateurs Flimby & Fothergill in the Challenge Cup, which is still a record. He toured with the Great Britain Lions three times (1924, 1928 and 1932) and was captain on the final occasion. He top-scored on all three tours. He refused what would have been a record fourth trip, in 1936, for personal reasons.

For twenty years, he dominated at fullback, representing Great Britain (25 times), Wales (26), England (3), Other Nationalities (6), Glamorgan (1) and Glamorgan & Monmouthshire (12). Due to the Second World War, his last season was 1939/40, although he played several times when peace resumed, the last at Batley in February 1946.

When he removed his Wigan jersey for the final time, he had made 774 appearances and amassed 2,317 goals and 4,883 points for the club. These figures are still unchallenged. He scored a club record of 161 goals in 1934/35 and a record total of 194 goals in 1933/34 (including representative games).

As a player-coach from 1932, Sullivan continued managing Wigan after retiring as a player, creating one of the club's greatest sides before joining St Helens RLFC in 1952, overseeing their rise to power. He later returned to Wigan as coach in 1961, but left months later due to ill health.

Jim Sullivan passed away in Wigan in 1977, aged 73. He was one of the inaugural inductees of the British Rugby League Hall of Fame in October 1988.

External links

* [http://rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk/?page_id=12 Jim Sullivan at rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk]
* [http://www.rugbyrelics.com/SW/sports/rl/sullivan.htm Jim Sullivan at rugbyrelics.com]
* [http://wales.rleague.com/profiles/jim.php Jim Sullivan at wales.rleague.com]