Sandy Orford - Second row
Wales RLHeritage No | 173 |
Date Of Birth | 05/12/1911 |
Place Of Birth | Pontypool |
Clubs | Bradford Bulls, Dewsbury Rams, Wakefield Trinity |
Honours | Wales RL |
Edwin James “Sandy” Orford was not only a skilful second row forward but he was one of the toughest professional wrestlers of his day. He played rugby union in school but the family moved to Yorkshire while he was still in school, depriving him of a schoolboy cap. Whilst a schoolboy Sandy received the Royal Humane Life-Saving Certificate after rescuing a boy from drowning.
His professional rugby union career began with Dewsbury, where he played 106 times between 1929 and 1935. He had three spells with Bradford Northern, from 1935-39, guest appearances during the War and then from 1947. Other than that, he made 177 appearances for Wakefield Trinity between 1939 and 1947, scoring 17 tries. In addition to his Wales caps, which were all during war-time, he also played for a Rugby League XIII against Northern Command XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax in 1942.
During this time, Orford was involved in controversy which declared the 1942-43 Championship void. Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury in the semi-final, but Dewsbury's manager, Eddie Waring, appealed to the RFL, claiming that Bradford had fielded Orford as a guest player, and that he was ineligible as he'd played only three league matches for Bradford rather than the minimum of four. Bradford were disqualified and Dewsbury went onto beat Halifax over two legs in the Championship Final. However, a month later, Bradford appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Dewsbury had also fielded Castleford's Frank Smith as a guest player for exactly the same reason, only three games played. Bradford's appeal was upheld and the RFL fined Dewsbury £100, stripped them of the Championship title with no-one else being awarded the title.
Orford was already wrestling during the war. Promoters capitalised on his credentials as an international rugby player and he was matched against the top men from the very beginning. He simultaneously began a two and a half year stint as an unbeaten masked man, known as "The Black Angel" making him a busy wrestler with dual personalities. As the Black Angel, he was unbeaten for nearly three years, losing his run on 15th November, 1947. In 1955, he wrestled in Rhodesia and South Africa, where he beat South African champion Wllie Leibenberg and South African idol Manie Maritz. In 1958, he pulled on a mask once again and was just known as "The Mask" and, dressed head to toe in black, was unbeaten as that character for eight years. He continued to wrestle all over the world and the name "Sandy Orford" was last seen on a wrestling bill in Nottingham in 1964. His son Tony Orford also played rugby league and wrestled, with the latter eventually taking over.
Sandy Orford died on 22nd April, 1986 aged 74.
His professional rugby union career began with Dewsbury, where he played 106 times between 1929 and 1935. He had three spells with Bradford Northern, from 1935-39, guest appearances during the War and then from 1947. Other than that, he made 177 appearances for Wakefield Trinity between 1939 and 1947, scoring 17 tries. In addition to his Wales caps, which were all during war-time, he also played for a Rugby League XIII against Northern Command XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax in 1942.
During this time, Orford was involved in controversy which declared the 1942-43 Championship void. Bradford Northern beat Dewsbury in the semi-final, but Dewsbury's manager, Eddie Waring, appealed to the RFL, claiming that Bradford had fielded Orford as a guest player, and that he was ineligible as he'd played only three league matches for Bradford rather than the minimum of four. Bradford were disqualified and Dewsbury went onto beat Halifax over two legs in the Championship Final. However, a month later, Bradford appealed to the Rugby Football League, claiming that Dewsbury had also fielded Castleford's Frank Smith as a guest player for exactly the same reason, only three games played. Bradford's appeal was upheld and the RFL fined Dewsbury £100, stripped them of the Championship title with no-one else being awarded the title.
Orford was already wrestling during the war. Promoters capitalised on his credentials as an international rugby player and he was matched against the top men from the very beginning. He simultaneously began a two and a half year stint as an unbeaten masked man, known as "The Black Angel" making him a busy wrestler with dual personalities. As the Black Angel, he was unbeaten for nearly three years, losing his run on 15th November, 1947. In 1955, he wrestled in Rhodesia and South Africa, where he beat South African champion Wllie Leibenberg and South African idol Manie Maritz. In 1958, he pulled on a mask once again and was just known as "The Mask" and, dressed head to toe in black, was unbeaten as that character for eight years. He continued to wrestle all over the world and the name "Sandy Orford" was last seen on a wrestling bill in Nottingham in 1964. His son Tony Orford also played rugby league and wrestled, with the latter eventually taking over.
Sandy Orford died on 22nd April, 1986 aged 74.
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