Dai John

{{Short description|Wales international rugby league footballer}}

{{other people|David John}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}}

{{Use British English|date=October 2016}}

{{Infobox rugby league biography

|first = RU

|name = W. David John

|fullname = David John

|image = Dai John, Salford Rugby League player.png

|imagesize =

|caption =

|birth_date =

|birth_place = Wales

|death_date =

|death_place = unknown

|weight = {{convert|70|kg|lb stlb|abbr=on}}

|height = {{convert|1.60|m|ftin|abbr=on}}

|ru_position = Half-back

|position = {{rlp|FB|SO}}

|ru_club1 = Penygraig RFC

|ru_year1start = ≤1906

|ru_year1end = ≤06

|ru_appearances1 =

|ru_tries1 =

|ru_goals1 =

|ru_fieldgoals1 =

|ru_points1 =

|club1 = Salford

|year1start = ≤1906

|year1end = ≥13

|appearances1 =

|tries1 =

|goals1 =

|fieldgoals1 =

|points1 =

|teamA = Wales

|yearAstart = 1913

|yearAend =

|appearancesA = 1

|triesA =

|goalsA =

|fieldgoalsA =

|pointsA =

|new = yes

|retired = yes

|updated = 14 June 2010

|source = {{cite web|url=http://www.rugbyleagueproject.org/players/w-john/summary.html|title=Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org|publisher=rugbyleagueproject.org|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}}

}}

W. David "Dai" John (birth unknown – death unknown) was a Welsh rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1900s and 1910s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Penygraig RFC, as a half-back, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Salford, as a {{rlp|fb}} or {{rlp|so}}.{{cite book| first1= Graham| last1= Williams| first2= Peter| last2= Lush| first3= David| last3= Farrar| title= The British Rugby League Records Book| publisher= London League| isbn= 978-1-903659-49-6| year= 2009| pages= 108–114}}

Playing career

=International honours=

Dai John won a cap for Wales (RU) while at Salford in 1913.

=Championship final appearances=

During Dai John's time there was Salford's 5-3 victory over Huddersfield in the Championship Final during the 1913–14 season.

=Challenge Cup Final appearances=

Dai John played {{rlp|so}} in Salford's 0-5 defeat by Bradford F.C. in the 1906 Challenge Cup Final during the 1905–06 season at Headingley, Leeds on Saturday 28 April 1906.Irvin Saxton (publish date tbc) "History of Rugby League – № 11 – 1905–06". Rugby Leaguer ISBN n/a

=Club career=

Dai John originally played rugby union, turning out at half-back for Penygraig RFC in the Rhondda.{{cite web|url=https://newspapers.library.wales/view/4222795/4222796|title=Welshmen Up North – Mystery of Dai Furnish|publisher=newspapers.library.wales|date=10 September 1910|accessdate=17 January 2019}} While still a teenager he switched codes to rugby league. John was considered a "Probable" for the 1910 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand, but ultimately he was not selected for the tour.{{cite web|url=http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=EP19100413.2.33&cl=CL1.EP&l=mi&e=-------10--1----0--|title=Northern Union – The Colonial Football Tour – Probable Players|publisher=paperspast.natlib.govt.nz|date=31 December 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012}} Writing at the time in the Evening Express, their rugby league correspondent suggested that it was John's height, standing at 5 foot 3 inches, that cost him his place.

References