Tommy Harris

Who was Tommy Harris?

Percival Thomas "Tommy" Harris, was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer of the 1950s and '60s. A Great Britain and Wales international representative hooker, he played for English club Hull. Nicknamed "Bomber", with Great Britain he won the 1960 Rugby League World Cup and also set the record for most test matches for Great Britain of any hooker. With Hull, Harris won the 1960 Lance Todd Trophy.

Harris was born at Crumlin in Monmouthshire, and played rugby union with Newbridge RFC until 1949 when four players left to play professional rugby league for the 1949–50 Northern Rugby Football League season: Tommy to Hull, Bill Hopkins to Hull, Granville James to Hunslet, and Glyn Meredith to Wakefield Trinity.

Harris gained selection for Great Britain in the 1954 and 1960 World Cups. He played international matches for Wales as well.

Harris played at hooker in Hull's 13-30 defeat by Wigan in the 1958–59 Northern Rugby Football League season's Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 9 May 1959, and was man of the match winning the Lance Todd Trophy in the 5-38 defeat by Wakefield Trinity in the 1959–60 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday 14 May 1960.