David Topliss - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

David Topliss was an English

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

Rugby League World Cup

The Rugby League World Cup is an international rugby league competition contested by members of the Rugby League International Federation . It has been held nearly once every 4 years on average since its inaugural tournament in France in 1954...

winning footballer and coach. He played and coached with Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats are a professional rugby league club that plays in the European Super League and is based in Wakefield. They achieved promotion in 1999 and have remained in the League since. They are known to their fans as Wakey, Trinity, Wildcats, or historically The Dreadnoughts...

in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

His playing career started at Normanton Juniors ARLFC before spending 13 years with Wakefield from 1968–81 and won the Lance Todd Trophy

Lance Todd Trophy

The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the Man-of-the-Match in rugby league football's Challenge Cup Final.The trophy was introduced in 1946, in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War...

as man of the match in the 1979 Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

The Challenge Cup is a knockout cup competition for rugby league clubs organised by the Rugby Football League. Originally it was contested only by British teams but in recent years has been expanded to allow teams from France and Russia to take part....

final even though he was on the losing side.

He joined Hull at age 31 for a fee of £15,000. He captained them to six finals in his four years at the club most famously when they won the Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

in 1982.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-topliss-sparkling-rugby-international-849946.html He was captain

Captain (sports)

In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...

of Hull during the 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, and 1984–85 seasons.

Topliss played in the summer in Australia for Penrith Panthers

Penrith Panthers

The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football team based in the western Sydney suburb of Penrith. They compete in the National Rugby League premiership, the top rugby league football competition in Australasia. For the 2012 NRL season they will be coached by Ivan...

(1976) and Balmain Tigers

Balmain Tigers

The Balmain Tigers are a rugby league football club based in the inner-western Sydney suburb of Balmain. They were a founding member of the New South Wales Rugby League and one of the most successful in the history of the premiership, with eleven titles...

(1977).

International honours

David Topliss won caps for England while at Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

in 1975 against France, Australia (sub), and won caps for Great Britain while at Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

in 1973 against Australia (2 matches), in 1979 against Australia, and while at Hull in 1982 against Australia.

David Topliss was selected for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

The Great Britain national rugby league team represents the United Kingdom in rugby league football. Administered by the Rugby Football League , the team is nicknamed "The Lions" or "Great Britain Lions"....

Squad while at Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

for the 1972 Rugby League World Cup

1972 Rugby League World Cup

The sixth Rugby League World Cup was held in France in October and November of 1972. Australia started as the favourites to retain the trophy they had won just two years previously. New Zealand had beaten all three of the other nations in 1971 and France were expected to be tough opponents on their...

in France

France

The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...

. However, David Topliss did not participate in any of the four matches.

He went on the 1973 and 1979 Ashes tours of Australia, playing twice on the 1973 tour, and once on the 1979 tour, and whilst at Hull he captained Great Britain against the Kangaroos in 1982.

David Topliss played , i.e. number 6 in Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

’s 7-8 defeat to France

France national rugby league team

The France national rugby league team represent France in international rugby league tournaments. They are also sometimes referred to as "Les Tricolores" or more commonly "Les Chanticleers"...

in the friendly

Exhibition game

An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...

at Stadio Pierluigi Penzo

Stadio Pierluigi Penzo

Stadio Pierluigi Penzo is a multi-use stadium in Venice, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of F.B.C. Unione Venezia. The stadium holds 10,500 people and is located on the island Sant'Elena. It is the only ground in Italy's top flights to which...

, Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...

on 31 July 1982.

He left Hull in 1985 and finished his playing career with Oldham (1985–87). During his time at the side he became synonymous with local supporters, earning the chant and slogan 'Go Topliss!'. At one game against Wrexham Topliss decided to remove his rugby shirt playfully in response to the chant, which resulted in him being banned from the game for 1 year

Challenge Cup final appearances

David Topliss played , i.e. number 6, was captain, and won the Lance Todd Trophy

Lance Todd Trophy

in Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

’s 3-12 defeat to Widnes

Widnes Vikings

Widnes Vikings RLFC are an English professional rugby league club based in Widnes, Cheshire. They currently play in the Engage Super League, the top tier of European rugby league, after being awarded a license to compete in the top-flight Super League from 2012 onward...

in the 1978–79 Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

final at Wembley Stadium on 5 May 1979.

Testimonial match

David Topliss' Testimonial match

Testimonial match

A testimonial match or testimonial game, often referred to simply as a testimonial, is a practice in some sports, notably football and especially in the United Kingdom, where a club puts on a match in honour of a player for service to the club....

at Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

took place in 1980.

Coaching career

Topliss coached Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

from 1987–94 and also had a spell in charge of Great Britain under-21s in 1989. In his first season with Trinity, he guided them to promotion back into the old First Division, retiring as a player after the final match of the season. He remained at Wakefield as coach until 1994 when he stepped down to concentrate on his business.http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/david-topliss-sparkling-rugby-international-849946.html

Honoured by Arriva Yorkshire

Arriva Yorkshire

Arriva Yorkshire is a division of Arriva which operates bus services around West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire and the southern areas of North Yorkshire in England.-History:Arriva Yorkshire was formed as a combination of mergers of previous...

honoured 13 rugby league footballers on Thursday 20 August 2009, at a ceremony at The Jungle

The Jungle (Wheldon Road)

The Jungle is the former name of Wheldon Road, a stadium in Castleford, West Yorkshire, England. This is the home of the Castleford Tigers rugby league team....

, the home of the Castleford Tigers

Castleford Tigers

Castleford Tigers are a professional rugby league club based in Castleford in West Yorkshire, England. They participate in the professional European competition Super League. They are sometimes known as 'Cas', 'Cas Tigers', 'Classy Cas' or the 'Black & Amber'...

. A fleet of new buses were named after the 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team'. Members of the public nominated the best ever rugby league footballers to have played in West Yorkshire, supported by local rugby league journalists; James Deighton from BBC Leeds, and Tim Butcher, editor of Rugby League World

Rugby League World

Rugby League World is a dedicated rugby league magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom. Other rugby league titles published by League Publications Ltd include the weekly newspaper Rugby Leaguer & League Express and the annual Gillette Rugby League Yearbook.-History:Rugby League World began...

. The 'Arriva Yorkshire Rugby League Dream Team' is; Trevor Foster

Trevor Foster

Trevor J. F. Foster MBE , was a Welsh rugby footballer and coach. He played rugby union for Newport and rugby league for Bradford Northern...

MBE

Order of the British Empire

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...

, Neil Fox

Neil Fox (rugby league)

Neil Fox MBE is an English former rugby league footballer and player-coach of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. A goal-kicking , he is one of the most prominent figures in the history of the sport because he holds the all-time points record, scoring 6,220 points during his career...

MBE

Order of the British Empire

, Albert Goldthorpe

Albert Goldthorpe

Albert Goldthorpe was an English rugby footballer from the period around 1895's schism in English rugby, which led to the formation of rugby league football around the turn of the century.One of five brothers , Goldthorpe made his first...

, Alan Hardisty

Alan Hardisty

Alan 'Chuck' Hardisty is an English former professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s, '60s and '70s and coach of the 1970s, who at representative level has played for Great Britain, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Castleford, and Leeds, playing at , i.e...

, Stan Kielty

Stan Kielty

Stan Kielty was an English rugby league footballer. A member of the Halifax Hall of Fame, Stan began his professional career at Wakefield Trinity before signing for Halifax in 1946. He later went on to represent Yorkshire and England, playing at , i.e...

, Lewis Jones, Roger Millward

Roger Millward

Roger Millward MBE is an English former rugby league footballer and coach of the mid to late 20th century. A goal-kicking , he gained a high level of prominence in the sport in England by playing for Hull KR and Castleford, as well as representing Great Britain...

MBE

Order of the British Empire

, Malcolm Reilly

Mal Reilly

Malcolm J. Reilly is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. A Great Britain international representative , Reilly played club football for Castleford Tigers in England and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles in Australia...

, Garry Schofield

Garry Schofield

Garry E. Schofield OBE is an English retired professional rugby league footballer of the 1980s and 1990s. At the time of his retirement he was the most-capped Great Britain player of all time along with Mick Sullivan, with 46 appearances. He also won three England caps, making him the highest...

, Keith Senior

Keith Senior

Keith Senior is an English professional rugby league or who most recently played for the Leeds Rhinos in Super League. He has won every honour in the English domestic game. He holds the record for the most Super League appearances & the most Super League tries...

, David Topliss, Dave Valentine

Dave Valentine

David Donald Valentine was a Scottish representative rugby union and Rugby League World Cup winning footballer, a dual-code rugby international of the 1940s and '50s.-Rugby union:...

, and Adrian Vowles

Adrian Vowles

Adrian Vowles is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer of the 1990s and 2000s. He played in Australia for several years, gaining State of Origin selection in 1994, but spent the majority of his career in the European Super League...

Personal details

He died on 16 June 2008 after suffering a heart attack during a five-a-side football game at Crofton Community Centre, in Crofton

Crofton, West Yorkshire

Crofton is a village near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is located roughly to the south east of the city and is roughly to the west of the town of Pontefract and from the town of Featherstone.-History:...

near Wakefield.

External links

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