Kenneth Hirst

Ken Hirst
Ken Hirst
Born	Template:Birth date; Morley, Leeds, England
Died	December 20, 2008 (aged 68); Ossett, Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England
Occupation(s)	Rugby union and rugby league footballer, publican
Years active	1950s–1960s
Known for	Rugby union player for Morley R.F.C.; rugby league player for Wakefield Trinity

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Kenneth Hirst, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 11 August 2025

Kenneth "Ken" Hirst (4 June 1940 – 20 December 2008) was a notable English athlete who competed in both rugby union and professional rugby league during the 1950s and 1960s. His rugby union career included playing for Morley R.F.C., while in rugby league, he represented Leeds Schools and Wakefield Trinity, mainly occupying the position of a .

Background

Born in Morley, part of Leeds, Ken Hirst passed away in Ossett, located within the Wakefield area of West Yorkshire.

Championship final appearances

During the 1966–67 season, Hirst featured as a in the Championship Final replay where he contributed a try to Wakefield Trinity’s 21-9 triumph against St. Helens. This match took place at Station Road, Swinton on 10 May 1967.

Challenge Cup Final appearances

Hirst also played as a in the 1961–62 Challenge Cup Final held at Wembley on 12 May 1962, scoring a try that helped Wakefield Trinity secure a 12-6 victory over Huddersfield. Furthermore, he scored two tries playing as a during the closely contested "Watersplash" Final of the 1967–68 Challenge Cup at Wembley Stadium on 11 May 1968, although Wakefield Trinity narrowly lost 10-11 to Leeds in front of an audience of 87,100.

Notable tour matches

Ken Hirst made an impactful debut on the , crossing for a try within two minutes to aid Wakefield Trinity in defeating the touring Australian side 17-12. This match occurred at Belle Vue, Wakefield, during the 1956–57 Kangaroo tour of Great Britain and France on 10 December 1956.

Club career

At only 16 years and six months old, Hirst became the third youngest player ever to debut for Wakefield Trinity in 1956, following behind players Ernest Pollard and Richard Goddard.

Outside of Rugby League

Following his retirement from professional sport, Ken and his wife Irene ran The Tawny Owl Inn located in Ossett for two decades. They are parents to one son named Alex and grandparents to two grandchildren, Evie and Sam.

External links