Tony Colloby, a talented rugby player of both codes, has died at the age of 81.
Originally a stand-off half with Kendal rugby union club, Colloby went on to turn professional with Whitehaven rugby league club to initiate a successful career in the 13-a-side code.
He became a much sought-after winger, known as the Kendal flyer, in a pro career which saw him serve Haven, Town, Blackpool, Salford and Barrow.
Indeed he was also a talented footballer who had a year playing amateur soccer after he left Kendal Grammar School as a 15-year-old.
But he was converted effectively to rugby union by the Kendal club and went on to forge a reputation as a talented stand-off.
Indeed by the time he was 17 he was playing County Championship rugby for Cumberland and Westmorland and before he switched to rugby league had played 15 times for the Twin Counties.
The switch to rugby league came when he was 21 and he was signed by Whitehaven Rugby League club for a tidy sum of £2,000, which at the time would have been enough to buy a house in Kendal.
On his home debut against Batley on April 23, he scored tries in an 18-13 win.
Almost a year later on March 10, 1962 he created a new club record by scoring five tries in a game against Liverpool City. The feat was equalled in February of the following year by Les Lowther and stood until 1985 when Vince Gribbin scored six against Doncaster.
Overall Colloby played 82 times for Whitehaven, scoring 53 tries and kicking ten goals.
He was transferred to Workington in April, 1964 in a deal which saw Eddie Brennan, Matt McLeod and Fred Hodgson move in the opposite direction to the Recreation Ground. The Haven asking price had been £5,000.
When he crossed the west Cumbrian divide, moving to Workington his distinctive galloping runs – powerful and pacey – made him a crowd favourite.
He went on to play 89 times for Town and scored 38 tries, kicking four goals.
A carpenter by trade Colloby had an accident at work on a planning machine and had to have two finger-ends stitched back on.
He’d also done his national service by then, playing for the Army and showed his prowess as an athlete by clocking ten seconds for the 100 yards.
A surprising move to Blackpool followed in 1968 while in 1971 he was signed by Salford, regarded then as one of the richest clubs in rugby league – and for a time one of the top ones.
He ended his career back in Cumbria with Barrow before he retired in 1975.
One interesting fact is that he was a member of the Cumberland side which won the County Championship triangular competition with Yorkshire and Lancashire on no less than five occasions – all with different teams – which must be unique. He played 19 times for the County.
He was a member of the Cumberland team which beat Australia 17-15 at Derwent Park in 1967 and at the age of 31 he scored two tries in Salford’s game against New Zealand’s World Cup side.
