MEN 1873-1895
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Chris Charles

OVERALL STATISTICS

BIRTHAGESIGNED ONFROM
05-03-1949
N/A
15-08-1974
Llanelli RUFC- Wales
DEBUTLAST MATCHLEFT
30-08-1974 v Workington Town
Widnes
1977- Oldham
CAREERAPPEARANCES (SUBS)
1974-1976
45 (6)
TRIESGOALSDGOALSPTS
3
0
0
9

Biography of Chris Charles



HERITAGE NO : 902
Signed from Llanelli in August 1974 Chris was a tough forward who was a handful when taking the ball into the attack. He played 39 matches for the Saints and proved unlucky when missing out on several finals in 1976. Nevertheless he was a member of the great 1975 Championship winning squad and played 14 matches in that memorable campaign. He scored three tries for the Saints in his matches. Chris went on to play for Oldham.

Adrian Lawrenson adds his own appreciation of the Welsh forward:

It used to be a mantra for more years than you care to remember for rugby league clubs to go to the Welsh Valleys for when forwards were needed. The results are there for all to see, particularly at St Helens RFC!

Chris Charles was recruited from Llanelli in August 1974, playing his first match in the pre-season friendly against Blackpool Borough on 16 August 1974 and he made his competitive debut in the Lancashire Cup defeat by Workington Town on 30 August. He was to become part of a squad that were reigning champions at the end of the 1974-75 season.

Chris played 45 matches for the Saints, scoring 3 tries. His last competitive match being against Widnes on 6 January 1977, when he was subsequently sold to Oldham that same year.

Chris was a tall man and very much a rugby union forward. Early in his Saints’ career it was clear that his natural instincts still revolved around the need to form a ruck after being tackled – a basic difference between the two codes. Chris soon seemed to pick up the ropes, however, in his new environment!

Sadly Chris died in November 2021 in his hometown of Llanelli. Alex Service produced the following obituary.

Chris was recruited from Llanelli RUFC, in August 1974 to bolster the Saints’ front row and made his competitive debut at home to Workington in the first round of the Lancashire Cup when he packed down with Mick Murphy and young hooker Graham Liptrot.It was a strong side too, with four other Welshmen in the line-up: Frank Wilson, Roy Mathias, his former team-mate at Llanelli, John Mantle and Kel Coslett. The visitors came away with the spoils, however, winning 11-13, but Chris showed that he was a powerful scrummager, although it was to be several games before he really became accustomed to his new rugby environment, when he was able to put his size and power to good effect.

Chris played 14 games during the 1974-75 season, when the Saints won their one and only First Division Championship and was unlucky not to have played in any finals at top level for the club during his 52 games in the red vee. Once described as a ‘vivacious’ character, he came to St Helens with a burgeoning reputation in Welsh rugby union, beginning with Burry Port RUFC; on to Aberavon, before joining Llanelli, for whom he made 99 appearances. Chris played representative rugby for West Wales v Australia, Western Counties v Japan and for the Welsh ‘B’ team against France. He never appeared on the pitch for the full Welsh XV, although he was a substitute at one time.

Chris always approached his rugby at full tilt and was a loyal clubman. Yet with fellow Welshman Mel James back in the side after injury and the experienced Dave Chisnall and Neil Courtney vying for places, he joined Oldham, playing his final game for St Helens at Widnes on 6th January 1977. He made 24 appearances for the Second Division side [Heritage Number #808] including a Challenge Cup tie at Watersheddings against his former club on 12th March 1978, which Saints won 26-11.

On returning home, he continued in the 15-a-side code, despite his involvement with the rugby league game, when he helped to develop the junior section at Burry Port RUFC and later became first team coach.

Sadly pre-deceased by his wife, Helen, everyone at St Helens R.F.C. send their condolences to his daughters Jayne and Andrea. His funeral took place in Llanelli on 18th November.

PLAYER HONOURS

SEASON STATISTICS

Season (Official Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1974~75 1 0 0 12
1975~761 0 0 17
1976~77 1 0 0 16
TOTALS:3 0 0 45
Season (Other Matches)TriesGoalsDGoalsMatches
1974~75 0002
1975~760001
1976~770001
1977~780001
TOTALS:0005

ALL MATCHES

DateMatchPosOpponentsCompVenueFTFTOTGDG
16th Aug 1974 --
W
 18 Blackpool Borough * Fr Charity H 30 8 VIEW
30th Aug 1974 1
L
 10 Workington Town LC1 H 11 13 VIEW
24th Sep 1974 2
L
 10 Wakefield Trinity FTP(2) A 15 18 VIEW
25th Oct 1974 --NPS
W
 15 Rochdale Hornets L H 23 5 VIEW
15th Nov 1974 3
W
 8 Bramley L H 12 10 VIEW
24th Nov 1974 4
L
 15 Wakefield Trinity L A 5 13 VIEW
29th Nov 1974 5
W
 10 Castleford L H 17 5 VIEW
15th Dec 1974 6
W
 15 Warrington L H 20 2 VIEW
21st Dec 1974 7
D
 8 Castleford L A 10 10 VIEW
5th Jan 1975 8
W
 8 Halifax L H 19 3 VIEW
23rd Mar 1975 9
W
 15 Bradford Northern L A 26 15 VIEW
31st Mar 1975 10
W
 8 Widnes L H 25 5 1 VIEW
6th Apr 1975 11
W
 10 York L A 10 9 VIEW
20th Apr 1975 --
L
 8 Wales * Fr Testimonial H 22 31 VIEW
25th Apr 1975 12
W
 15 Oldham PT1 H 42 5 VIEW
2nd May 1975 --NPS
W
 15 Bradford Northern PT2 (rep) H 14 5 VIEW
8th Aug 1975 --
L
 8 Salford* Fr Gallie Cup A 15 17 VIEW
17th Aug 1975 13
W
 8 Swinton L A 10 8 VIEW
22nd Aug 1975 14
W
 8 Featherstone Rovers L H 17 3 VIEW
31st Aug 1975 15
W
 15 Oldham LC1 A 19 17 VIEW
8th Oct 1975 16
W
 10 Rochdale Hornets FTP A 15 7 VIEW
12th Oct 1975 17
L
 8 Australia Tour H 7 32 VIEW
16th Nov 1975 18
W
 8 Castleford L H 22 9 VIEW
18th Nov 1975 19
W
 8 Hull FT2 H 36 13 VIEW
28th Dec 1975 20
W
 10 Hull Kingston Rovers L A 18 4 VIEW
1st Jan 1976 21
W
 10 Widnes L H 12 4 VIEW
11th Jan 1976 22
W
 10 Bradford Northern L H 19 7 VIEW
17th Jan 1976 23
W
 10 Leeds L A 17 8 VIEW
20th Jan 1976 24
W
 10 Swinton L H 40 6 VIEW
25th Jan 1976 25
L
 10 Warrington L H 3 9 VIEW
8th Feb 1976 --NPS
L
 15 Oldham L H 7 8 VIEW
5th Mar 1976 --NPS
L
 15 Salford L A 9 10 VIEW
19th Mar 1976 26
W
 8 Keighley L H 21 2 VIEW
24th Mar 1976 --NPS
W
 15 Oldham L A 15 8 VIEW
30th Mar 1976 27
W
 8 Salford L H 24 7 VIEW
4th Apr 1976 28
W
 8 Warrington L A 16 10 VIEW
19th Apr 1976 29
L
 8 Widnes L A 7 23 1 VIEW
5th Sep 1976 30
L
 8 Rochdale Hornets L A 21 24 1 VIEW
10th Sep 1976 31
D
 8 Wakefield Trinity L H 7 7 VIEW
19th Sep 1976 32
W
 8 Barrow L A 19 2 VIEW
24th Sep 1976 33
W
 8 Leigh L A 20 5 VIEW
26th Sep 1976 34
W
 8 Castleford L H 17 15 VIEW
2nd Oct 1976 35
L
 8 Bradford Northern L A 7 17 VIEW
9th Oct 1976 36
L
 8 Leeds L A 13 23 VIEW
17th Oct 1976 37
W
 8 Warrington L H 23 9 VIEW
24th Oct 1976 38
W
 8 Hull Kingston Rovers JP1 A 12 7 VIEW
26th Oct 1976 39
W
 8 Swinton FT1 A 22 15 VIEW
29th Oct 1976 40
W
 8 Salford L A 18 15 VIEW
6th Nov 1976 41
L
 8 Castleford JP2 H 18 22 VIEW
11th Nov 1976 --
L
 8 Catalan XIII* Fr Charity A 10 18 VIEW
14th Nov 1976 42
W
 15 Featherstone Rovers L H 22 17 VIEW
16th Nov 1976 43
L
 10 Huddersfield FT2 A 7 9 VIEW
21st Nov 1976 44
W
 8 Oldham L A 20 9 VIEW
4th Dec 1976 --NPS
W
 15 Workington Town L A 16 12 VIEW
27th Dec 1976 --NPS
L
 15 Wigan L H 12 14 VIEW
6th Jan 1977 45
L
 8 Widnes L A 8 13 VIEW
7th Aug 1977 --
W
 15 Pilkington Recs* Fr Queens Silver Jub H 23 17 VIEW
*Unofficial Match. **Non Playing Sub.
WINS : 37 | LOSSES : 18 | DRAWS : 2

GALLERY





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