Biography.guide
Home › People › Rugby league player › Jack Morley
Portrait of Jack Morley

Jack Morley

1909 – 1972

Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Jack Morley

Lived 1909 – 1972 (aged 62). Jack Morley was a British rugby league player and rugby union player.

John Cuthbert Morley (28 July 1909 – 7 March 1972) was a Welsh international rugby wing who played rugby union for Newport and rugby league with Wigan. He won 14 caps for Wales in union, and five caps for Wales in rugby league, and was the first player to tour Australia and New Zealand for both union, and league British teams.

Morley, although mainly a wing player was often used as a utility back, and was known for his incredible pace and ability to change direction at speed. He was an intelligent but unorthodox player. He captained Newport against the touring South Africans at Rodney Parade on 8 October 1931, and set up Ken Richards for a try after a typical zigzag run. The South Africans took note of Morley and attempted to ensure he wasn't given the space to run at them for the rest of the game. In August 1932 he switched to rugby league, leaving Newport for Wigan.

Morley was first capped for Wales against England on 19 January 1929 and although he finished on the losing side he did manage to score a try on his début, when he received the ball forty yards out, broke infield and crossed wide, after cutting back inside to score. He retained his place and played in the remaining three games of the Championship. After playing in two matches of the 1930 tournament, he played in all four matches of Wales's Championship winning 1932 campaign. Morley scored in all but one of the matches, surprisingly the game he failed to score was against France, when Wales were rampant and his team mates scored seven tries. Morley was capped 14 times for Wales and his final game was against Ireland at the Cardiff Arms Park in 1932. He would probably have been chosen for future teams as he was still a young exciting player, but his decision to join a professional league side made him ineligible for future Welsh games.

International matches played under union code Wales 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932 1929, 1931 1929, 1930, 1931, 1932 1929, 1931, 1932 1931

British Lions New Zealand 1930, 1930, 1930

Rugby league Morley played on the , and scored a try in Wigan's 15–3 victory over Salford in the Championship Final during the 1933–34 season at Wilderspool Stadium, Warrington on Saturday 28 April 1934 .

Morley played on the in Wigan's 10–7 victory over Salford in the 1938–39 Lancashire Cup Final during the 1938–39 season at Station Road, Swinton on Saturday 22 October 1938.

Morley played on the , and scored two tries in Wigan's 30–27 victory over France at Central Park, Wigan, on Saturday 10 March 1934.

International matches played under league code Great Britain 1933, 1936, 1937 Wales 1932, 1936 1935, 1935 1933

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

People in Jack Morley's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Jack Morley's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Jack Morley?

Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer

When was Jack Morley born?

Jack Morley was born on 28 July 1909 in Newport.

When did Jack Morley die?

Jack Morley died on 7 March 1972 in Newport.

What was Jack Morley's occupation?

Jack Morley was a rugby league player and rugby union player.

What nationality was Jack Morley?

Jack Morley was British.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Jack Morley

· Wikidata: Q6114189

· DBpedia: Jack Morley

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Jack Morley. https://biography.guide/jack-morley/

MLA: "Jack Morley." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/jack-morley/.

Chicago: "Jack Morley." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/jack-morley/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Portrait: Wikimedia Commons · author & licence

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:03 UTC