John Anthony Gallagher
Encyclopedia
John Anthony Gallagher is a former rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...

 All Black. He was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

.

Gallagher was one of the first of a succession of All Blacks to switch codes to rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...

.

Gallagher was initially signed by David Ward
David Ward (Rugby League)
David J. Ward is an English former rugby league footballer and coach. A hooker, he played for and managed Leeds RLFC. Possibly the greatest moment of his playing career was his performance during the 1978 Challenge Cup final at Wembley Stadium against St Helens, where he gave a commanding...

 for Leeds RLFC
Leeds Rhinos
Leeds Rhinos is an English professional rugby league football club based in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The club won the 2011 Super League and became the most successful club in the Super League era, beating St Helens 32-16 on 8th October 2011. Formed in 1890, Leeds competes in Europe's Super League...

. He was targeted by opposition players and was badly injured in an alleged spear tackle
Spear tackle
A spear tackle is a dangerous tackle in rugby union, rugby league and Australian rules football whereby a player lifts another player into the air and dumps or drops them upside down...

. He may also have found the tactical differences between the two codes difficult to adjust to, particularly in his favoured full-back position and the move was unsuccessful.

Gallagher found greater success in the less rarefied atmosphere of playing for the club then known as London Crusaders, where his reliable kicking and astute play made a significant contribution over several seasons.

Gallagher is now Headteacher at Colfe's Preparatory School in South-East London.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK