Rugby League Legend Don Fox Dies

The Great Featherstone and Wakefield Player Passes Away

Aug 22, 2008

When people pass on, one imagines that they would like to be remembered for something good. Sadly, not everyone receives this luxury, as Don Fox knew all too well.

Yesterday, the rugby league world learned of the tragic news that one of the sport’s finest players, Don Fox, had passed away, at the age of 73, after a long battle with illness.

Don Fox’s Career

Fox, who was born on October 15th 1935, was brought up in Sharston, West Yorkshire. As he was growing he began to play rugby league, a popular sport in the north of England.

The first club that Fox played for was Featherstone Rovers. While playing for the Yorkshire based club he forged a reputation for being one of the best ball-handlers in the game. Fox was a scrum-half, though he did sometimes operate from loose forward. It was from these positions that Fox managed to secure a Featherstone club record of 162 tries. As well as this amazing achievement, Fox also lies third on Featherstone’s all-time goal kicking ladder with 503 goals from 369 appearances.

After a successful 13-year tenure at Featherstone, Fox moved to another West Yorkshire club, Wakefield Trinity. During his time at Wakefield, Fox went from strength to strength. However, his achievements would mean very little after the 1968 Challenge Cup final.

1968 “Watersplash” Challenge Cup Final

As Wakefield trailed 11-7 against Leeds in the 1968 Challenge Cup final, it seemed as though they would be heading for defeat, especially considering only a few precious seconds remained. Nevertheless, Ken Hirst of Wakefield had other plans, as he raced through the Leeds defence and touched the ball down right underneath the posts. Back in those days a try was only worth three points, as opposed to the four points a team is rewarded with today, therefore the score was 11-10 to Leeds.

The stage was set, in front of an 87,000 strong Wembley crowd; Don Fox stepped up for the simple conversion from right in front of the sticks. As the rain lashed down, Wakefield fans were jubilant, expecting the great goal kicker to secure victory for their beloved team. However, the wet surface under foot would get the better of Fox. His standing foot slipped as he kicked the ball and as a result he sliced his kick wide of the posts. The unthinkable had happened, one the finest kickers of his generation had missed the simplest of kicks. A distraught Fox fell to the water drenched ground, as he held his head in his hands. He was aware that he had cost his team and the fans victory in the Challenge Cup final.

Despite missing the kick, Fox had already been named as man of the match, thus lifting the Lance Todd Trophy. After the match he was asked if this accolade was any kind of consolation, Fox abruptly replied, “No, not really”.

The Legacy of Don Fox

For everything that Fox achieved in his illustrious career it will not be his tremendous ball skills nor his great goal kicking for which he will be remembered. It will not even be for his one solitary appearance in a Great Britain uniform, when he helped Britain in beating Australia thanks to him scoring a try and two goals. In the words of Don Fox himself, “I won the Lance Todd Trophy that day, but nobody never mentions that now. They only remember me as that old lad who missed that goal”.

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