Ken Roberts (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Full name | Kenneth Roberts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 2 October 1937 Atherton, Lancashire, England |
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| Died | 8 August 2017 (aged 79) Halifax, West Yorkshire, England |
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Playing information
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| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 0 lb (102 kg; 224 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Prop, Second-row | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Coaching information
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Source: "A Record of Ken Roberts" by Robert Gate 07.11.90
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Kenneth "Ken" Roberts (born 2 October 1937 – died 8 August 2017) was a famous English rugby league player. He played during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Ken was known for being a very strong player. He could control games with his physical power and amazing ball-handling skills.
Standing at 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighing over 16 stone (about 100 kg), Ken was a towering figure on the field. He was also a fast runner and a tough defender. He always pushed hard against the other team. Ken was a respected leader and a player that opponents feared.
Contents
About Ken Roberts
Ken Roberts was born in Atherton, England. He passed away at the age of 79.
Ken's Rugby Career
Ken Roberts played for several clubs. These included Swinton, Halifax, Bradford Northern, Rochdale Hornets, and Salford. He played in positions like prop (prop) or second-row (second-row). These are strong players who play in the front or middle of the team.
Playing for Great Britain
Ken Roberts was a very important player for the Great Britain national team. He earned his first "cap" (a special award for playing for your country) in 1963. This was against Australia, and Great Britain won 16–5.
He played many more international matches:
- 1964: Two games against France.
- 1965: One game against France and three games against New Zealand.
- 1966: One game against France and two games against New Zealand.
In 1966, Ken also went on a tour with Great Britain to Australasia. He played in 19 matches during this tour. He even captained the team in several games. Ken scored 4 tries on this tour.
Playing for Lancashire
Ken also represented his county, Lancashire. He played 5 times for Lancashire against teams like Yorkshire and Cumberland. He also played once for a combined Salford-Swinton team.
Big Games and Finals
Ken played in several important cup finals during his career.
- Lancashire County Cup: With Swinton, he played in three Lancashire County Cup Finals in a row (1960, 1961, 1962). Unfortunately, Swinton lost all three to St. Helens.
- Championship Final: In 1965, Ken helped Halifax win the Championship Final. They beat St. Helens 15–7. This was a huge win for Halifax!
Club Highlights
Ken Roberts started his club career with Swinton in 1956. He scored a try and a goal in his very first game. He played over 200 games for Swinton and helped them win the Lancashire County League in the 1960–61 season. He also won the Championship with Swinton in the 1962–63 season.
In 1963, Ken moved to Halifax for a large transfer fee. He quickly became a key player there. He was elected vice-captain and then captain. His strong leadership helped Halifax win the Rugby League Championship in 1965. He played 39 games that season, which was a huge number!
After Halifax, Ken played for Bradford Northern and then Rochdale Hornets. He finished his career at Salford. Ken played his last professional game in 1970. In total, he played 475 first-class games!
Honored at Halifax
Ken Roberts is a true legend of rugby league. He played 27 times for Great Britain, including 10 "Test matches" (the most important international games). He was the only player to captain a Great Britain XIII team. Because of his amazing career, Ken Roberts has been added to the Halifax Hall of Fame.
