Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | Jack Rhapps 15 July 1876 Aberaman, Wales | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 23 January 1950 (aged 73) Stretford, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 87 kg (13 st 10 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John "Jack" Rhapps (15 July 1876 – 23 January 1950)[1][2] was a Welsh international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Penygraig, and international rugby for Wales. Rhapps later "Went North", when he turned professional, joining rugby league team Salford, and along with Anthony Starks they became the World's first dual-code rugby internationals.
Rhapps was born in the Penylan pub in Aberaman,[3] near Aberdare, but came to the Rhondda Valley to find work. A collier by profession,[4] Rhapps was one of the first 'Rhondda forwards', an aggressive style of forward player who was expected to play a more physical style of game.[5]