Hockey Driscoll

Hockey Driscoll
Personal information
Full name J. "Hockey" Driscoll
Born 1876
Cardiff, Wales
Died is known by grandchildren 1921, entry by patricia driscoll
Cardiff, Wales
Playing information
Rugby union
Position Three-quarter, Half-back

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1895–98 Cardiff RFC 82 30
Rugby league

Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1898–02 Hull FC

John Henry Driscoll (1876[1] - death unknown), also known by the nickname of "Hockey", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer of the 1890s and 1900s. He played club level rugby union (RU) for Cardiff RFC, as a three-quarter, or half-back, and club level rugby league (RL) for Hull FC[2]

Background

Driscoll was born in Cardiff (of Irish descent, his father Patrick Driscoll was born in Skibbereen, County Cork), he was proprietor of large dining and tearooms in Wales c. 1914.

Rugby union career

Driscoll joined Cardiff RFC during the 1895–96 season, playing as a half-back. He gained a place in the first team during his initial season and scored 9 tries. Driscoll was not as prolific the following season, with just five tries to his name; but during the 1897–98 season he was switched to the wing. This saw Driscoll becoming the club's fourth highest try scorer with a tally of 16, playing in 30 of the 31 first team games. Cardiff Rugby Club historian D. E. Davies described Driscoll that season as, "our excellent uncapped wing". Having been overlooked by the Wales (RU), the next season Driscoll switched codes to professional rugby league with Hull FC,[3] alongside former Cardiff half-back Tom Savage.

Nickname

Hockey Driscoll's nickname of "Hockey" was a corruption of Hawkeye, and pronounced Ockey, as he would prefer to ankle tap tackle, rather than body tackle, which demanded both a quick-eye (Hawkeye), and fast reactions to see and catch the opposition player's foot.

References

  1. ↑ 1881 England Census, Census Returns of England and Wales, 1881. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives of the UK (TNA): Public Record Office (PRO), 1881.
  2. ↑ "Stats → Past Players at hullfc.com". hullfc.com. 31 December 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.
  3. ↑ Davies, D.E. (1975). Cardiff Rugby Club, History and Statistics 1876-1975. Risca: The Starling Press. pp. 40–43. ISBN 0950442100.
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