Jean Galia was a French 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 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 and champion boxer. He is credited with establishing the sport of rugby league in France in 1934 presenting it also through the expression: jeu à treize.

Playing in the forwards, Galia made his international debut for the France national rugby union team

France national rugby union team

The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...

 in a 1927 test against England in Paris. After 20 internationals, He later played in France's first ever rugby league international, also against England in Paris, on 15 April 1934 and was captain of the France national rugby league team

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 its early days. Following France's tour of Northern England, Galia arranged a series of demonstration matches around France.

The Courtney Goodwill Trophy, international rugby league′s first, was presented for the first time in 1936 and depicted Galia, along with other pioneering greats of the code, James Lomas

James Lomas (rugby league)

James Lomas was a pioneering English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. Hailing from Maryport, Cumberland, his career lasted for twenty-four years from 1899 to 1923. A three-quarter and prominent goal-kicker, Lomas captained the Great Britain national rugby league team.Lomas was...

 (Britain), Albert Baskiville (New Zealand) and Dally Messenger

Dally Messenger

Herbert Henry "Dally" Messenger was an Australian rugby union and rugby league footballer, recognised as one of the greatest ever players in either code. Messenger, or 'The Master' as he was dubbed, represented his country in both rugby football codes, playing two rugby union tests and seven...

 (Australia).

In 1988 Galia was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame

Rugby League Hall of Fame

The Rugby League Hall of Fame is an International Hall of Fame that was combined and continually has additions from the Australian Rugby League Hall of Fame, British Rugby League Hall of Fame, Fédération Française de Rugby à XIII and the...

.

External links

• Jean Galia at scrum.com
• Jean Galia's introduction of the May 1934 Yorkshire's tour in France : Jean Galia's parent of the expression jeu à treize or Game of thirteen
• History of rugby league at napit.co.uk
• History of Rugby football in France at independent.co.uk