Kel Coslett
Encyclopedia
Kelvin "Kel" Coslett is a Welsh
former rugby football
er and coach. He was a national representative player for Wales in both rugby league
and rugby union
, a dual-code international.
match against England
. He also appeared that year in the Tests against Scotland
and France
before shifting to the professional code in 1962 with St. Helens.
Coslett ended up a utility player, playing in every position from full-back to loose-forward for St Helens. After the 1972 Challenge Cup
final he was awarded the Lance Todd Trophy
for his man-of-the-match performance.
Coslett captained the champion St Helens team as they travelled to Sydney for the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
match against their champions, Eastern Suburbs Roosters.
Coslett went on to coach Wigan
and Rochdale Hornets
and remains involved at the St Helens club 44 years after first signing.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
former rugby football
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
er and coach. He was a national representative player for Wales in both 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...
and 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...
, a dual-code international.
Rugby union
He was fullback in rugby union and made his international debut for Wales in the 1962 Five Nations Championship1962 Five Nations Championship
The 1962 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-third series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-eighth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
match against England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
. He also appeared that year in the Tests against Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
and France
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...
before shifting to the professional code in 1962 with St. Helens.
Rugby league
Coslett had 15 seasons at St Helens up till 1976. He was a brilliant goalkicker landing 1,639 career goals and scoring 45 tries for the club. He started as a tough-tackling, raw-boned youngster. A broken ankle later in his career cost his blistering pace, but he remained ever a dangerous player with the ball in hand.Coslett ended up a utility player, playing in every position from full-back to loose-forward for St Helens. After the 1972 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 he was awarded 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...
for his man-of-the-match performance.
Coslett captained the champion St Helens team as they travelled to Sydney for the unofficial 1976 World Club Challenge
1976 World Club Challenge
The inaugural World Club Challenge was actually an unofficial trial of the concept, with 1975 NSWRFL season premiers, Eastern Suburbs playing against 1975–76 Northern Rugby Football League season Challenge Cup winners St. Helens...
match against their champions, Eastern Suburbs Roosters.
Coslett went on to coach 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....
and Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets
Rochdale Hornets RLFC is an English professional rugby league club from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. They currently play in Championship One...
and remains involved at the St Helens club 44 years after first signing.