Jonty Parkin

Jonty Parkin

Jonathan "Jonty" Parkin (born in Sharlston, West Riding of Yorkshire) was an English rugby league footballer of the 1910s, '20s and '30s. He joined Wakefield Trinity as an 18-year-old in 1913 and gave 17 years' service, playing 349 times and earning 17 Great Britain Test caps, 12 England appearances and 17 for Yorkshire. He played at Stand-off/Five-eighth, or Scrum-half/Halfback, and also captained England.

Parkin toured Australia three times, twice as captain of Great Britain.

Parkin decided he wanted to leave the Wakefield club in 1930, at the age of thirty-four, and he was put on the transfer list at £100. (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £19,200 in 2009).

For some reason, Hull Kingston Rovers couldn't or wouldn't find the money. so Parkin paid the fee himself to secure his release. The game's bylaws were adjusted shortly afterwards, so that no player could ever do that again.

In 1988 Parkin was one of the first group of inductees into the British Rugby League Hall of Fame.