| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Lomas | |||||
| Born | Maryport, England | |||||
| Playing information | ||||||
| Rugby union | ||||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| Maryport | ||||||
| Rugby league | ||||||
| Position | Three-quarter | |||||
| Club | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 18??–?? | Maryport | |||||
| ????–01 | Bramley | |||||
| 1901–23 | Salford | 315 | 212 | 471 | 0 | 1578 |
| 1910–?? | Oldham | |||||
| Total | 315 | 212 | 471 | 0 | 1578 | |
| Representative | ||||||
| Years | Team | Pld | T | G | FG | P |
| 1899–?? | Cumberland | |||||
| 1904–11 | England | |||||
| 1908–12 | Great Britain | |||||
James Lomas was a pioneering English rugby league footballer of the early 20th century. Hailing from Maryport, Cumberland, his career lasted for twenty-four years from 1899 to 1923. A three-quarter and prominent goal-kicker, Lomas captained the Great Britain national rugby league team.
Lomas was playing for Maryport when they made the switch from rugby union to rugby league. In 1899 he made his début appearance for Cumberland, scoring the only try of the match which was a 3-0 victory over Cheshire at Whitehaven.[1] Lomas became rugby league's first £100 transfer, from Bramley to Salford in 1901[2] (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £43,000 in 2009).[3] He then played in 1904's first ever international rugby league match for England against Other Nationalities. His club record for most points in a game (39), achieved for Salford against Liverpool City on 2 February 1907, still stands today.
Jomas was also notable for his goal-kicking style. He was the first player to stand the ball up on its end.[4]
Lomas went on to captain the successful first British tour of the Southern Hemisphere which began on 4 June 1910. He later joined Oldham from Salford for a fee of £300, (based on increases in average earnings, this would be approximately £121,000 in 2009).[3] playing in Oldham's Challenge Cup loss to Dewsbury in the 1912 final. Lomas' total points scoring world record of 2,340 stood until Jim Sullivan passed it in the 1928-29 season.
The Courtney Goodwill Trophy, international rugby league′s first, was presented for the first time in 1936 and depicted Lomas, along with other pioneering greats of the code, Jean Galia (France), Albert Baskiville (New Zealand) and Dally Messenger (Australia).[5]
James Lomas won caps for England while at Salford in 1904 against Other Nations, in 1905 against Other Nations, in 1906 against Other Nations, in 1908 against New Zealand, and Wales, in 1909 against Australia (3 matches), and Wales, in 1910 against Wales, and while at Oldham in 1911 against Wales, and Australia (2 matches), and won caps for Great Britain while at Salford in 1908-09 against Australia (2 matches), in 1910 against Australia (2 matches), Australasia, and New Zealand, and while at Oldham in 1911-12 Australia (2 matches).[6]