Donald Vines - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Donald "Don" G. Vines was a Welsh

Welsh people

The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...

rugby union

Rugby union

Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

, and professional rugby league

Rugby league

Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

footballer of the 1950s and '60s, and a Heel Wrestler

Heel (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling, a heel is a villain character. In non-wrestling jargon, heels are the "bad guys" in professional wrestling; the term heel coming from the term take to you heels, which means to run away which heel champions tend to do to avoid losing their titles.storylines...

in Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...

of the 1960s, who at club level played rugby union (RU) for Newbridge RFC

Newbridge RFC

Newbridge RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and gained admission to the WRU in 1911...

, playing at Centre, or in the Forwards, and at representative level played rugby league (RL) 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"....

, and Wales

Wales national rugby league team

The Wales national rugby league team represent Wales in international rugby league football matches. Currently the team is seventh in the RLIF World Rankings. The team were run under the auspices of the Rugby Football League, but an independent body, Wales Rugby League, now runs the team from...

, and at club level for Oldham

Oldham Roughyeds

Oldham Roughyeds is an English professional rugby league club based in Oldham, Greater Manchester. They currently play in the Championship One. Oldham is one of the original twenty-two rugby clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895....

, 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...

(twice), and St. Helens, playing at , or , i.e. number 8 or 10, 11 or 12, or 13, during the era of contested scrums.

International honours

Don Vines won caps for Wales

Wales national rugby league team

(RL) while at Wakefield Trinity 1959…1963 2-caps, and won caps for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

(RL) while at Wakefield Trinity in 1959 against France (2 matches), and Australia.

Challenge Cup final appearances

Don Vines played Tighthead-, i.e. number 10 in Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

’s 38-5 victory over Hull F.C. in the 1959–60 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 at Wembley Stadium on 14 May 1960, and Left-, i.e. number 11 in St. Helens’s 12-6 victory over Wigan

Wigan Warriors

Wigan Warriors is an English rugby league club based in Wigan, Greater Manchester. The club's first team squad competes in the engage Super League and the team are the current Challenge Cup holders as of the 27th August 2011....

in the 1960–61 Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

final at Wembley Stadium on 13th May 1961, and in Wakefield Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

’s 25-10 victory over Wigan

Wigan Warriors

in the 1962–63 Challenge Cup

Challenge Cup

final at Wembley Stadium on 11th May 1963.

County Cup Final Appearances

Don Vines played Right-, i.e. number 11 in St. Helens’s 15-9 victory over Swinton

Swinton Lions

Swinton Lions is an English professional rugby league club from Swinton, Greater Manchester. The club has won the Championship six times and three Challenge Cups. They currently play in the Championship.-Early years:...

in the 1960–61 Lancashire Cup

Rugby league county cups

Historically, British rugby league clubs competed for the Lancashire Cup and the Yorkshire Cup, known collectively as the county cups. The leading rugby clubs in Yorkshire had played in a cup competition for several years prior to the schism of 1895...

final at Central Park

Central Park (Wigan)

Central Park was a rugby league stadium in Wigan, England. It was the home of Wigan RLFC before the club moved to the JJB Stadium in 1999. Its final capacity was 18,000.-History:...

on 29th Oct 1960.

Contemporaneous Article Extract

"Don Vines. Playing as off-half for the Welsh Association of Boys' Clubs, then at centre for Welsh Youth against Welsh Secondary Schools, Don started his football

Rugby league

career with two caps. That was in 1950. There followed three years in the Army and after that a period with the Newbridge R.U.

Newbridge RFC

Newbridge RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and gained admission to the WRU in 1911...

club, still at centre threequarter. A brief break and then resumption with Newbridge

Newbridge RFC

Newbridge RFC are a Welsh rugby union club based in Newbridge, Caerphilly in South Wales. Newbridge RFC was formed in 1888 and gained admission to the WRU in 1911...

, this time as a forward, but after three more months Don decided to change his code, and signed for Oldham Rugby League Club

Oldham Roughyeds

in 1956. Two years later came another move, this time, we are glad to say, to Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

. Whilst with us he has gained international honours for Wales

Wales national rugby league team

v. 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"...

, twice for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

v. France, and again, during the recent tour of the Australians, for Great Britain

Great Britain national rugby league team

v. Australia. Trinity

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats

followers are glad to know that Don is happily settled in Wakefield

Wakefield

Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....

. We shall look forward to many more grand displays such as he has given since coming to Belle Vue

Belle Vue (Wakefield)

Belle Vue is a rugby league stadium in Wakefield, England. It is the home stadium of Wakefield Trinity Wildcats. It is located beside the A638 Doncaster Road, approximately one mile south of Wakefield City Centre.- Description :Currently, the East stand has a covered stand with seating, with some...

External links

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