Jack Fish (rugby league)

Jack Fish (30 December 1878 – 23 October 1940) was an English professional rugby league footballer of the 1890s, 1900s and 1910s, playing at representative level for England, and Lancashire, and at club level for Warrington (Heritage № 65), as a Wing, i.e. number 2 or 5.

Born in Runcorn in 1878, Fish moved to Lostock Gralam FC where he was soon noticed, and a trial game was organised. Legend has it that as he entered the committee room he was confronted with a table heaped with £50 in silver, and the signing was then a mere formality, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £22,130 in 2013).

Professional playing career

Fish played in Warrington's friendly at home against Barrow on 15 October 1898 and scored from the half-way. His league début was the following week on 22 October 1898; a 3-2 victory at Rochdale Hornets. He went on to be Warrington's leading try scorer that season' and for the following six seasons, becoming the club's first superstar. Fish was a stockily built man, at only 5 ft 7 in (170 cm) and 11 st 8 lb (73 kg). He had fantastic acceleration and a tricky swerve, but he could also stop dead in his tracks whilst running at full speed, which left many would-be tacklers whizzing into touch! He once accepted a £100 sprint challenge with a flying winger called Buckie Green from Wigan, at Springfield Park, and won in a canter, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £36,400 in 2013).

Fish played Right-Wing, i.e. number 2, and scored a try and a conversion in Warrington's 10-3 victory over Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain tour match during the 1908–09 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, Saturday 14 November 1908, in front of a crowd of 5,000, due to the strikes in the cotton mills, the attendance was badly affected, the loss of earnings meant that some fans could not afford to watch the first tour by the Australian rugby league team, and played and scored a try in the 8-8 draw with Australia in the 1908–09 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain tour match during the 1908–09 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington, Monday 8 February 1909, in front of a crowd of 7,000.

He was idolised in the town, and supporters could be seen wearing metal fish badges at games. When it came to cup ties he was put in the care of Heesom, a local professional sprinter, who gave the winger special preparation. He was prominent in Challenge Cup Finals, scoring twice including one from half way in 1905 as Warrington beat Hull Kingston Rovers 6-0 to win the trophy for the first time.

Two years later, as captain, he scored a sensational try hacking on a wayward Oldham pass, dribbling forward and then picking up the bouncing ball to swerve round the full back, to complete a 17-3 victory.

His testimonial match in 1910 raised over £268, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £93,470 in 2013), before playing his final match at Coventry in a First Round Challenge Cup match, where he scored his last try to help Warrington into the next round in an 18-10 victory. Fish won caps for England while at Warrington in 1904 and in 1906 against Other Nationalities. He broke his leg in the 1906 match. Fish played again for England in 1908 against Wales.

Fish's last game for Warrington was on 18 February 1911. Altogether he played 321 games for the club, scoring 215 tries and kicking 262 goals for a total of 1,169 points.

His representative honours amounted to playing twice for England and 16 times for Lancashire for whom he scored and amazing 16 tries and 12 goals.

Post-playing

Fish died on 23 October 1940, but he is still the only player in Warrington's history to score more than 200 tries and 200 goals.