14 Facts About Gus Risman

Augustus "Gus" John Ferdinand Risman was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1920s through to the 1950s, and coached in the 1940s through to the 1970s.

Gus Risman made his debut for Salford on 31 August 1929 and went on to enjoy great success with the club.

Gus Risman won 17 caps for Great Britain and finished his career at Workington Town, remarkably leading them to Rugby League Challenge Cup glory as player-coach at the age of 41 in 1952.

Gus Risman retired as a player in 1954 after a career spanning 25 years.

Gus Risman captained the 1946 Great Britain Lions tour of Australia's "Indomitable"s side.

Gus Risman later coached Whitehaven, Oldham and Bradford Northern, and was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame in 1988.

Gus Risman was one of the players who successfully toured in France with Salford in 1934, during which the Salford team earned the name "Les Diables Rouges", the seventeen players were; Joe Bradbury, Bob Brown, Aubrey Casewell, Paddy Dalton, Bert Day, Cliff Evans, Jack Feetham, George Harris, Barney Hudson, Emlyn Jenkins, Alf Middleton, Sammy Miller, Harold Osbaldestin, Les Pearson, Gus Risman, Billy Watkins and Billy Williams.

Gus Risman won 18 caps for Wales while at Salford between 1931 and 1945.

Gus Risman was capped 18 times by Great Britain while at Salford in 1932 against Australia, New Zealand, in 1933 against Australia, in 1934 against France, in 1936 against Australia, New Zealand, in 1937 against Australia, and in 1946 against Australia.

Gus Risman played centre for a Rugby League XIII against Northern Command XIII at Thrum Hall, Halifax on 21 March 1942.

Gus Risman holds Workington Town's "Appearances in a Season" record, and as of 2015, with 4,050-points is fourth on British rugby league's "most points in a career" record list behind Neil Fox, Jim Sullivan and Kevin Sinfield.

Gus Risman is one of less than ten Welshmen to have scored more than 2,000-points in their rugby league career, and is one of less than twenty Welshmen to have scored more than 200-tries in their rugby league career.

Gus Risman was the father of the rugby league footballers Bev Risman and John Risman.

In December 2020 Gus Risman was named as one of three Welsh rugby league players to be honoured with a new statue in Cardiff Bay, the other two being Billy Boston and Clive Sullivan.