John Cogger
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 26 April 1963 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Lock | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: [1] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relatives | Trevor Cogger (brother) Jack Cogger (nephew) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
John Cogger (born 26 April 1963) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played as a lock. He played at club level for Western Suburbs, Runcorn Highfield and Oldham.
Playing career
[edit]Australia
[edit]Cogger made his first grade debut for Western Suburbs in 1983. He suffered a broken jaw in a match against Balmain early in 1985, which ruled him out for the rest of the year.[2]
England
[edit]Cogger moved to England in 1986, joining Second Division club Runcorn Highfield. He was named Division Two Player of the Year in 1987.[2] He played in the club's heavy defeat to Wigan in the first round of the 1988–89 John Player Special Trophy, with most of Runcorn's professional players having gone on strike.[3] In 1989, he briefly served as caretaker coach at the club following the departure of Bill Ashurst.[4]
Cogger joined Oldham in February 1989, and was appointed as the club's captain.[5] During the 1989–90 season, he helped the club reach the 1989–90 Lancashire Cup final and 1989–90 Challenge Cup semi-final, narrowly losing to Warrington on both occasions.
Personal life
[edit]John Cogger is the brother of Trevor Cogger, who also played rugby league for Western Suburbs. His nephew, Jack Cogger, has played for several clubs in the National Rugby League and Super League.
References
[edit]- ^ "John Cogger - Playing Career". Rugby League Project. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ a b "Rugby League Heroes: John Cogger". Total Rugby League. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Historic encounter but it wasn't a game". The Canberra Times. 15 November 1988. p. 20 – via Trove.
- ^ Fitzpatrick, Paul (4 January 1989). "Ashurst quits struggling Runcorn". The Guardian. London. p. 15. ProQuest 186841626.
- ^ McNamara, Jack (1 March 1989). "It's Captain Cogger". Manchester Evening News. p. 55 – via British Newspaper Archive.
External links
[edit]- Profile at Oldham Rugby League Heritage Trust