Day 8 Codebreaker – Gus Risman

The son of Russian immigrants who settled in Tiger Bay, Augustus John Ferdinand Risman was born in Sophia Street and went to South Church Street School. He became one of the greatest rugby players produced by Wales, captaining the 15-a-side team in War Time internationals despite being a rugby league legend. The statistics of his rugby league career are staggering and he is a member of the Rugby League and Workington Halls of Fame and is on the Welsh Sports Hall of Fame ‘Roll of Honour’. He has a street named after him in Salford and Workington and is on the Rugby League statue at Wembley Stadium. Between 1929-1954 he scored 4,052 points in 873 games for Salford and Workington Town. He also played in 36 Test matches for Great Britain, playing in five Ashes winning series, and won 18 Welsh caps. He was Wales’ 11th captain, leading us in his final five caps. He won four Rugby League Championships, went to Wembley for the Challenge Cup final three times, picked up five Lancashire League titles and three Lancashire Cup winners medals. He was captain of the Workington Town team that won the Challenge Cup at 41. He died in Whitehaven on 17 October 1994, aged 83. His son John also went onto play for Wales.

For more information and to vote for Gus Risman, go to https://www.rugbycodebreakers.co.uk/