The sheer size of the numbers involved in the rugby league career of the phenomenal Jim Sullivan still amaze newcomers to the sport even today. The apprentice boiler maker made his debut for Cardiff RFC at 16 in 1920 and then turned out for the Barbarians and played in a Welsh trial at 17. Six months before he turned 18 he signed a 12-year contract with Wigan for a record equalling fee of £750 in June, 1921. By the time he hung up his boots after 922 first-class games on 23 February, 1946, he had scored 6,001 points. Every accolade came his way and he went on to enjoy a groundbreaking coaching career as well.
He was the leading points scorer in rugby league in 13 of the 16 seasons up to the outbreak of WW2. He kicked more than 100 goals in each of those seasons and four times topped 300 points. In one game against Flimby and Fothergill in the first round of the 1924-25 Challenge Cup he kicked 22 goals for a record haul of 44 points. He won the Rugby League Championship Final four times (1922, 1926, 1934, 1944), the Challenge Cup twice (1924, 1929), and the Lancashire Cup three times (1922, 1928, 1938) in nine final appearances. He even won the Yorkshire Cup in 1941 with Dewsbury whilst guesting for them during WW2. The 1924 Challenge Cup victory was Wigan’s first success and in 1929 he captained the side in the first final played at Wembley Stadium. He also had the honour of scoring the first points there. He made a third appearance in the Challenge Cup final 20 years on from his first when he appeared in the first-leg of the war time defeat to Bradford Northern.
He made his international debut eight days after his 18th birthday when he replaced Gwyn Thomas in the Welsh side against England. He eventually won 26 Welsh caps over an 18 year period, captaining his country 18 times. He also played in 25 Tests for Great Britain, three for England and six for Other Nationalities. In his 60 international appearances he scored 329 points. His Great Britain career saw him play in five consecutive Ashes winning series’ from 1924-1934. He toured Australia three times (1924, 1928, 1932) and scored 504 points in 53 games all-tolled. He was also selected for the 1936 tour to Australia, but declined because his wife was expecting.
He coached Wigan between 1946-52, guiding them to more Wembley glory with victories over Bradford Northern in 1948 and Barrow in 1951 and six successive Lancashire Cups. His Wigan side also won the Northern League Championship final in 1947, 1950 and 1952. He switched to St Helens at the start of the 1952-53 season and immediately steered them to the League Championship title in 1953. The Saints won the Lancashire Cup in 1954, their first Challenge Cup in 1954 and the League Championship again in 1959.
Unsurprisingly, ‘Sully’ appears in the Rugby League Hall of Fame, the Wigan and St Helens Halls of Fame and remains one of the all-time greats of Welsh rugby player from either code.
James Sullivan (Rugby League player / coach) Born in Cardiff on 2 December, 1903; Died in Cardiff in September, 1977.
