Frank Castle (rugby league)

For the Marvel Comics character known as Frank Castle, see Punisher.

Frank Castle (second ¼ 1924 – 15 August 1999) was an English Olympic Games sprint trialist, rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for Warwickshire, and at club level for Coventry R.F.C., and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Leigh^[3][4] and Barrow, as a wing.^[2] Castle was inducted in to the Barrow Hall of Fame in 2019.^[5]

Frank Castle

Personal information
Born	second ¼ 1924 Warwickshire, England
Died	15 August 1999 (aged 75)^[1]
Playing information
Rugby union
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P ≤1949–49 Coventry R.F.C. Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P Warwickshire
Rugby league
Position	Wing
Club Years Team Pld T G FG P 1948/49–48/49 Leigh 1 0 0 0 0 1949–60 Barrow 366 281 843 Total 367 281 0 0 843 Representative Years Team Pld T G FG P 1951–53 England 5 6 0 0 18 1952–54 Great Britain 4 3 0 0 9
Source: ^[2]

Playing career

International honours

Castle won caps for England while at Barrow in 1951 against France, in 1952 against Other Nationalities (2 matches), and Wales, in 1953 against Other Nationalities,^[6] and won caps for Great Britain while at Barrow in 1952 against Australia (3 matches), and in 1954 against Australia.^[7]

Castle also represented Great Britain while at Barrow between 1952 and 1956 against France (2 non-test matches).^[8]

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Castle played on the wing in Barrow's 0-10 defeat by Wigan in the 1950–51 Challenge Cup Final during the 1950–51 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 5 May 1951,^[9] played on the wing and scored a try in the 21-12 victory over Workington Town in the 1954–55 Challenge Cup Final during the 1954–55 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 30 April 1955, in front of a crowd of 66,513, and played on the wing in the 7-9 defeat by Leeds in the 1956–57 Challenge Cup Final during the 1956–57 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 11 May 1957, in front of a crowd of 76,318.

County Cup Final appearances

Castle played on the wing in Barrow's 12-2 victory over Oldham in the 1954 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1954–55 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 23 October 1954.^[10]

Career records

Castle is second in Barrow's all time try scorers list with 281-tries.^[11]

References

1. "Frozen in Time". The Observer. 7 October 2001. p. D66.
2. "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
3. "They Played For Leigh (Statistics) at leighrl.co.uk". leighrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
4. "Heritage Numbers at leighrl.co.uk". leighrl.co.uk. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
5. "Barrow Raiders to honour seven club greats with Hall of Fame induction". The Mail. 16 March 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
6. "England Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
7. "Great Britain Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl.co.uk. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
8. Edgar, Harry (2007). Rugby League Journal Annual 2008 Page-110. Rugby League Journal Publishing. ISBN 0-9548355-3-0
9. . wigan.rlfans.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
10. . nwemail.co.uk. 31 December 2013. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
11. . barrowrlfc.com. 31 December 2011. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2012.

External links

• Search for "Castle" at espn.co.uk
• (archived by web.archive.org)
• Barrow RL’s great Britons
• Search for "Frank Castle" at britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk