Jimmy Ledgard

James "Jimmy" A. Ledgard (9 June 1922 in Wakefield – 26 January 2007 in Dewsbury) was an English rugby union and Rugby League World Cup winning footballer who played in the 1940s, and 1950s, and coached in the 1960s, playing club level rugby union (RU) for Sandal RUFC, and playing representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain, England, and Yorkshire, and at club level for Dewsbury (twice), and Leigh, as a Fullback, i.e. number 1, and coaching at club level for Bradford Northern.

He left Dewsbury for a record fee of £2,650 in January 1948, bought by Leigh, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £218,400 in 2013).

Ledgard made 334 appearances for Leigh after joining the club from Dewsbury in 1948, scoring a record 1,043 goals for the club as well as 36 tries. He played for the club until 1958.

He was part of the Great Britain side that won the 1954 World Cup, winning his 11th and last cap in the 16-12 win over France in the final.

Jimmy Ledgard won caps for England while at Dewsbury in 1947 against France (2 matches), and Wales, while at Leigh in 1948 against Wales, in 1949 against France, and Other Nationalities, in 1951 against Wales, and France, in 1952 against Other Nationalities (2 matches), and Wales, in 1953 against Wales, in 1955 against Other Nationalities, and won caps for Great Britain while at Dewsbury in 1947 against New Zealand (2 matches), while at Leigh in 1948 against Australia, in 1950 against Australia (2 matches), and New Zealand, in 1951 against New Zealand, and in the 1954 Rugby League World Cup against France (5-goals), Australia (2-goals), New Zealand (1-try, 4-goals), France (2-goals) (World Cup 1954 4-caps, 1-try, 13-goals).