The RFL today pays tribute to David Rose, a member of the Great Britain team who won the first Rugby League World Cup in France in 1954 – and who has passed away in Scotland at the age of 89.
Rose was one of two Scots in the squad who had switched codes from rugby union. The other, Dave Valentine, lifted the trophy after Great Britain’s 16-12 win against France in Paris – while Rose scored the crucial third try in the Final, maintaining his record of touching down in each of GB’s four games in the historic tournament.
Like Valentine, he had signed initially for Huddersfield, having won seven rugby union caps for Scotland and played his club rugby with Jedforest.
Rose, a winger, then moved on to Leeds shortly before the 1954 World Cup, but he suffered a badly broken leg in his first fixture for the club after that international triumph, and although he scored 11 tries the following season, he retired following medical advice ahead of the 1956-57 campaign.
Simon Johnson, the RFL Chair, said: “This is a poignant loss at the start of a World Cup year, reminding us of the achievements of the Great Britain team who won the inaugural competition in 1954, and the vision of those behind it.
It is also a reminder of the Scottish flavour to that Great Britain squad, with two key figures in David Rose and Dave Valentine. Both the Leeds club and the Scotland Rugby League have recognised David’s achievements in recent years. On behalf of the RFL, I send the deepest condolences of the Rugby League family to David’s family and friends, and hope that they take pride in David’s achievements within the sport.”
