Ronald "Ron"/"Ronnie" C. Cowan (born 26 November 1941) is a Scottish former rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1960s and 1970s. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for the British Lions, and Scotland, and at club level for Selkirk RFC, as a wing,[1][2] and representative level rugby league (RL) for Other Nationalities, and at club level for Leeds and Hull FC, as a wing, or centre.
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| Full name | Ronnie C. Cowan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 26 November 1941 Selkirk, Scottish Borders, Scotland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Wing, Centre | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
editCowan was born in Selkirk, Scotland.
Rugby union career
editCowan was capped five times for Scotland in 1961–62.[2] He also played for Selkirk RFC. He went on the 1962 British Lions tour to South Africa.[1]
Rugby league career
editCowan transferred to Leeds during the 1962–63 season,[1] and scored 119-tries during his rugby league career.
Cowan played on the wing in Leeds' 2–18 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1964–65 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1964–65 season at Fartown Ground, Huddersfield on Saturday 31 October 1964, and played at centre in the 23–7 victory over Featherstone Rovers in the 1970–71 Yorkshire Cup Final during the 1970–71 season at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 21 November 1970.[citation needed]
Cowan played at centre in Leeds' 9–5 victory over St. Helens in the 1970 BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Final during the 1970–71 season at Headingley, Leeds on Tuesday 15 December 1970.
Cowan played at centre (replaced by substitute Les Dyl) in Leeds' 7–24 defeat by Leigh in the 1970–71 Challenge Cup Final during the 1970–71 season at Wembley Stadium, London on Saturday 15 May 1971, in front of a crowd of 85,514.
He transferred to Hull in 1972,[3] before finishing his career at Keighley.[4]
Representative honours
editCowan represented Other Nationalities (RL) while at Leeds, he was a substitute in the 2–19 defeat by St. Helens at Knowsley Road, St. Helens on Wednesday 27 January 1965, to mark the switching-on of new floodlights.[5]
Personal life
editCowan is the son of the rugby union and rugby league footballer for Hull F.C.; James "Jim"/"Jimmy" Cowan, and the younger brother of the rugby union, and rugby league footballer; Stan Cowan.[6]
Notes
edit- Bath, Richard (ed.) The Scotland Rugby Miscellany (Vision Sports Publishing Ltd, 2007 ISBN 1-905326-24-6)
- Massie, Allan A Portrait of Scottish Rugby (Polygon, Edinburgh; ISBN 0-904919-84-6)
References
edit- ^ a b c Bath, p118
- ^ a b Bath, p88
- ^ "Legend: Ronnie Cowan". Leeds Rhinos. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ "Rugby League Heroes: Ron Cowan". Total Rugby League. 3 January 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2024.
- ^ Cook, H.B. (1965). Programme – St. Helens versus Other Nationalities. St. Helens Rugby F.C. Ltd.
- ^ "Rugby league's Borders greats are honoured". bordertelegraph.com. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2015.