Stephen "Steve" Rule (born 5 June 1952) is an English-born former rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1970s and 1980s, and current rugby union coach. He played representative level rugby union (RU) for English Universities Rugby Union and Cheshire Rugby Football Union, and at club level for Loughborough Students RUFC and Sale, as a fly-half, i.e. number 10, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Wales, and at club level for Salford and St. Helens (Heritage No. 961), as a fullback, i.e. number 1, and coached representative level rugby union (RU) for Cheshire Rugby Football Union, and at club level for Sale, Lymm RFC, New Brighton and Macclesfield RUFC.[1][2]
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| Full name | Stephen Rule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 5 June 1952 Bebington, England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby union | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fly-half | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rugby league | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Fullback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background edit
Playing career edit
International honours edit
Steve Rule won a cap for Wales (RL) while at Salford in 1981, qualifying through his grandparents who were born in Aberdare.[1]
Rugby union achievements edit
Steve Rule won the Universities Athletic Union, Old Belvedere, Bridgend and Glasgow Rugby sevens tournaments with Loughborough Students RUFC in 1973, and represented England in the Bermuda Classic Tournament in 1989.
Career records edit
Until extended to 14-goals by Steve Blakeley in 2003, Steve Rule jointly held Salford's "Most goals in a game" record with 13-goals scored against Doncaster on 4 September 1981, with Gus Risman and David Watkins.
Coaching career edit
In 1991, Rule returned to Sale as a coach. At the time, anyone who had played rugby league professionally were normally banned from any involvement in rugby union, but Rule became one of the first English players to be re-instated by the Rugby Football Union.[3] He also went on to coach at Lymm RU,[4] New Brighton,[5] and Macclesfield.[6]
In 2011, he returned to Lymm as director of rugby.[7]
Outside of rugby edit
Steve Rule retired from playing rugby in 1985 following a neck injury, and currently works as Head of the Pupil Referral Service at Wigan Council.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Statistics at rugbyleagueproject.org". rugbyleagueproject.org. 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Williams, Graham; Lush, Peter; Farrar, David (2009). The British Rugby League Records Book. London League. pp. 108–114. ISBN 978-1-903659-49-6.
- ^ "Steve's back under the old rules". Manchester Evening News. 10 April 1991. p. 52 – via British Newspaper Archive.
- ^ "Lymm RU stroll to victory". Warrington Guardian. 11 December 1998. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Blues sign four new players". Wirral Globe. 9 July 2001. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Hopes and fears as season kicks off". Manchester Evening News. 10 August 2004. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
- ^ "Lymm unveil new director of rugby". Warrington Guardian. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2023.