Bob Beswick

Bob Beswick
Personal information
Full name Robert Beswick
Born 8 December 1984
Wigan, Greater Manchester, England
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight 14 st 11 lbs (94 kg)
Playing information
Position Loose forward, Hooker
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2004–2005 Wigan 22 2 0 0 8
2005–2007 Widnes 94 18 0 1 73
2007–2011 Halifax 87 21 0 1 85
2012– Leigh
Total 203 41 0 2 166
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2006–2014 Ireland 22 3 0 0 12
As of 2 November 2014
Source: Leigh Centurions official website

Bob Beswick (born 8 December 1984) is an English-born Irish international rugby league player.

Bob Beswick plays for Leigh in the Co-Operative Championship. He is also eligible to play for Ireland.

Beswick's position of choice is as at hooker. Beswick can also play at Loose Forward and Second row and has Super League experience with Wigan.

Beswick had been a revelation with Widnes, in 2007 scoring 5 tries in 23 games. But signed for Halifax after Widnes lost to Halifax in the NL1 quarter-final playoff [1]

Bob Beswick has been noted for his ability to break a tackle, and has a great short kicking game. He earned a place in the 2006 National League One Dream Team.[2]

Bob Beswick playing for Ireland against Fiji at the 2008 Rugby League World Cup

Beswick is an Irish international.[3]

Bob Beswick is a former Wigan St Patrick's amateur and Deanery pupil, he played for Wigan's Academy U17s during the 2002 season. He was rumoured to have been released by Wigan and to have joined rivals St Helens in October 2002, but he played for the Wigan Academy U21s in 2003, winning the Academy Championship.

Bob, who is from Beech Hill, Wigan, was called up into the first team squad for 2004 after the departures of Paul Johnson and Shaun Briscoe due to salary cap restrictions. Wigan rugby executive Dean Bell said: "Bob is an exciting prospect, and his progression through to the first-team squad continues the policy of bringing young players through the ranks."

Beswick made his first team debut in Terry O'Connor's Testimonial match against London Broncos. Despite becoming a first team regular during an injury hit 2005 campaign Beswick was released at the end of the season. He had made 22 competitive appearances for Wigan, scoring 2 tries. In October 2005, Bob signed a two-year contract at newly relegated Widnes. He signed for Halifax in September 2008 for the 2009 season. Bob Beswick has further representative experience, being called up to the England Academy squad to face the Aussie Schoolboys in December that year. He played in the first Test in a historic first.

He was named in the Ireland squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup.[4]

He was named in the Ireland squad as captain for the 2009 European Nations Cup.

Beswick featured on the losing side for Halifax in the 2011 Northern Rail Cup Final at Bloomfield Road, Blackpool against Leigh before joining Leigh in time for the 2012 season.

At the end of the 2014 season, Bob captained Ireland in the 2014 European Cup tournament.

References

  1. ↑ "Player Stats". Widnes. 2007-07-20. Archived from the original on 2007-06-21. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  2. ↑ "Bob Beswick". Widnes. 2007-07-20. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-07-20.
  3. ↑ "White Eyes a Green Jersey". RLWC08.com. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
  4. ↑ "Cassidy included in Ireland squad". BBC. 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2008-10-07.

External links