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11 Facts About Jerry Shea

1.

Jeremiah Shea was a Welsh international dual-code rugby centre who played club rugby for Newport and Pill Harriers under the rugby union code and later represented Wigan as a professional rugby league footballer.

2.

Jerry Shea was an all round athlete, and was an accomplished swimmer and professional boxer.

3.

Jerry Shea is best known as being the first rugby union player to achieve the Full House of scoring in an international match.

4.

Wick Powell then scored a second try for Wales, before Jerry Shea finished the match with another drop goal, for a convincing Welsh win.

5.

Jerry Shea found himself at the centre of a controversy before the start of the 1920 game against Scotland, when the Scottish Rugby Union threatened to pull out of the game against Wales as Jerry Shea was a professional boxer.

6.

Jerry Shea remained with the club for three seasons, two of them as captain, though he never moved to Wigan and always travelled to matches from Wales.

7.

Jerry Shea drew the match but just two weeks later he beat Davies by points decision at the same venue.

8.

Jerry Shea twice faced Frank Moody, the British and Commonwealth champion, drawing on points in their first encounter in 1919, and then beating him by points in their rematch at the Empire Theatre in Cardiff the following year.

9.

Just two weeks after defeating Moody, Jerry Shea was lined up against Ted "Kid" Lewis at the Pavilion in Mountain Ash.

10.

In 1920, Jerry Shea beat future European Welterweight Champion, Rene DeVos at The Ring in Blackfriars, then in 1922 he defeated the future British light-heavyweight champion Gipsy Daniels at Newport.

11.

Jerry Shea's final recorded fight was on 17 November 1924 when he faced ex-welterweight champ, Johnny Basham.