Arthur Bunting facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arthur Bunting

Personal information
Born	(1936-06-13)13 June 1936 Hemsworth district, England
Died	7 June 2017(2017-06-07) (aged 80)
Playing information
Position	Scrum-half
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1959–68 Hull Kingston Rovers 231+6 68 1 0 206
Coaching information
Club Years Team Gms W D L W% 1972–75 Hull Kingston Rovers 1978–85 Hull F.C. Total 0 0 0 0

Arthur Bunting (born 13 June 1936 – died 7 June 2017) was a famous English rugby league player and coach. He played as a scrum-half (number 7) for Hull Kingston Rovers in the 1950s and 1960s. Later, he became a very successful coach for both Hull Kingston Rovers and Hull F.C. in the 1970s and 1980s.

Playing Rugby League

Arthur Bunting was born in the Hemsworth area of England. He grew up in a place where rugby league was super popular, especially around Featherstone and Pontefract. He joined Hull Kingston Rovers as a player.

Eastern Division Championship

Arthur Bunting played as a scrum-half when Hull Kingston Rovers won the Eastern Division Championship Final. This big game happened on 10 November 1962. Hull Kingston Rovers beat Huddersfield 13–10 at Headingley Rugby Stadium in Leeds.

Challenge Cup Finals as a Player

Arthur Bunting also played in the Challenge Cup Final. This is one of the biggest rugby league matches!

• In the 1963–64 season, his team, Hull Kingston Rovers, played against Widnes. They lost 5–13 at Wembley Stadium in London. A huge crowd of 84,488 people watched this game on 9 May 1964.

Coaching Rugby League

In December 1978, Arthur Bunting became the coach for Hull F.C.. Under his leadership, Hull F.C. became incredibly successful. They won many major trophies and often reached the finals of big competitions.

One amazing achievement was in the 1978–79 season. Hull F.C. won the Second Division title by winning every single one of their 26 league games! This was a world record and had never been done before or since. Arthur Bunting coached Hull F.C. until 1985.

Challenge Cup Finals as a Coach

Arthur Bunting led Hull F.C. to several Challenge Cup Finals as their coach:

• In the 1980 Final, Hull F.C. played against Hull Kingston Rovers. Hull F.C. lost 5–10 at Wembley Stadium on 3 May 1980. About 95,000 fans were there to watch.
• In the 1982 Final, Hull F.C. played Widnes. The first game, on 1 May 1982, was a 14–14 draw at Wembley Stadium. Over 92,000 people watched this exciting match.
• Because of the draw, they had a replay game. On 19 May 1982, Hull F.C. beat Widnes 18–9 in the replay at Elland Road in Leeds.
• In the 1985 Final, Hull F.C. faced Wigan. This game, on 4 May 1985 at Wembley Stadium, is often called one of the most amazing cup finals ever. Hull F.C. fought back bravely after being 12–28 down at half-time, but they narrowly lost 24–28. Almost 100,000 people (99,801) watched this thrilling match.