Albert Rosenfeld

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Albert Rosenfeld
fullname = Albert Aaron Rosenfeld


caption = Australia rugby league footballer
country =
position = Five-eighth
currentclub = Deceased
dateofbirth = 1885
placeofbirth = Sydney
countryofbirth = Australia
dateofdeath = 1970
placeofdeath = Huddersfield
countryofdeath = England
height = 1.66m
weight =
club1 = Eastern Suburbs
year1start = 1908
year1end =
appearances1 = 12
tries1 =
goals1 =
fieldgoals1 =
points1 = 18
club2 = Huddersfield
year2start = 1909
year2end = 1921
appearances2 = ?(1,164)
tries2 =
goals2 =
fieldgoals2 =
points2 = ? (1,164)
club3 = Warrington
year3start = 1922
year3end = 1923
appearances3 =
tries3 =
goals3 =
fieldgoals3 =
points3 =
club4 = Bradford
year4start = 1924
year4end =
appearances4 =
tries4 =
goals4 =
fieldgoals4 =
points4 =
teamA = New South Wales
yearAstart = 1907
yearAend = 1909
appearancesA = 4
triesA =
goalsA =
fieldgoalsA =
pointsA = 19
teamB = Australia
yearBstart = 1908
yearBend = 09
appearancesB = 4
triesB =
goalsB =
fieldgoalsB =
pointsB = 3
updated =
source =
new = yes

Albert Aaron Rosenfeld (1885-1970) was a pioneer Australian rugby league footballer, a state and national representative whose club career was played in Sydney and in England. During his sixteen year English career he set a number of try-scoring records including the standing world first-grade record of 80 tries in a season in 1911/12.

Australian career

Born in Sydney, the son of a Jewish tailor, Rosenfeld played for the Eastern Suburbs club (1908-1909) in Australia and later for the Huddersfield, Warrington and Bradford clubs in England.

A five-eighth, Rosenfeld represented his country in four test matches . He made his test debut in Australia's first ever international series against New Zealand in 1908 where he appeared in all three matches. He was selected for Australia's inaugural Kangaroo Tour of 1908-09 making one Test appearance and playing in 13 minor representative matches.

English career

Whilst on tour Rosenfeld signed with English club Huddersfield after falling in love with a local mill manager's daughter whom he later married. He was moved to the wing position by his new club and became a try scoring sensation. In the English season of 1911/12 he set a new try scoring record for one season with 78 tries only to better it 2 seasons later with 80 tries. To date neither mark has been bettered, the nearest anyone has came was 72 by, coincidentally by another former Australian and Eastern Suburbs player, Brian Bevan, in the 1952-53 season.

Accolades

During his career (1908-1924), Albert Rosenfeld scored 391 tries. His try scoring feats earned him in 1988 a place in the British Rugby League Hall of Fame. In 2005, Rosenfeld was accepted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame with his official induction to take place at the 2009 Maccabiah games. He is one of only two rugby league players to be so honoured.

In February 2008, Rosenfeld was named in the list of Australia's "100 Greatest Players" (1908-2007) which was commissioned by the NRL and ARL to celebrate the code's centenary year in Australia. [cite news|author=Peter Cassidy |publisher="Macquarie National News"|title=Controversy reigns as NRL releases top 100 players |url=http://www.livenews.com.au/Articles/2008/02/22/Controversy_reigns_as_NRL_releases_top_100_players |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23] [cite web|publisher="NRL & ARL"|title=Centenary of Rugby League - The Players |url=http://www.centenaryofrugbyleague.com.au/site/the-players.aspx?cat=3&list=true |accessdate=2008-02-23|date=2008-02-23]

Rosenfeld was the last of the inaugural Kangaroo Tourists to pass away.

See also

* Huddersfield Giants
* Harold Wagstaff
* Rosenfeld

Footnotes

External links

* [http://rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk/?page_id=10 Albert Rosenfeld at rugbyleaguehistory.co.uk]