The number of Wales international players still living have fallen by two this month with the passing of Ivor Bennett and John Hurrell.
Bennett, who won his only cap against Ireland at Dublin in 1937, was the oldest Welsh international forward and died on the day of his 90th birthday. The former Tondu, Bridgend, Aberavon and Glamorgan Police player had to wait 40 years to receive his cap as he had turned to Rugby League in August 1937.
His death at Neath Hospital on June 16 leaves only seven players alive who played for Wales before World War Two, headed by 96-year-old Harry Bowcott. He played in the game that had been postponed for three weeks because of snow and Wales, led by Wilf Wooller, slipped to a 5-3 defeat.
He served with the 48th Anti-Aircraft Battery in Malta in the 1940’s and did not return home until VE Day in 1945.
Born in Aberkenfig on June 16, 1913, he attended the local St Robert’s Church School before becoming a collier worker at the nearby Aberbaiden Colliery at 14 and later went on to serve in the Glamorgan Police Force.
Four months after winning his Welsh cap Bennett headed north to Warrington and picked up £300 for the transfer, scoring a try on his debut for the Wires on August 27, 1938.
He then resumed his playing career with the Bridgend Rugby League side at the council-owned Brewery Field and in later years became steward of the Ogmore Vale Non-Political club. Both his son-in-law, Malcolm Thomas, and Malcolm’s son, Mark, who both played the 13-a-side code at Warrington and Mark played in the 1990 RL Cup final.
Though predeceased by his wife 21 years ago, Bennett leaves a son (Haydn) and two daughters (Gaynor and Fay).
Centre Richard John (Jack) Hurrell won his only cap in against France in Paris in 1959, having first played 201 games and scored 41 tries for Cross Keys, who he captained from fly-half in 1954/55 to 1956/57.
Born in Cwmcarn on August 17, 1933, Hurrell was capped first by Wales Youth at Cork in 1951, when they defeated Munster (Ireland) Youth by 15-3.
He played for Pontypool and Cross Keys combined team against Wilson Whineray’s 1953-54 All Blacks and later transferred to Newport, for whom he played 89 times, scoring 14 tries and was in the Black and Ambers side that defeated Australia by 11-0 in 1957.
An electrician, Hurrell played at centre with Malcolm Price (Pontypool) in the 11-3 loss to France at Stade Colombes, Paris in 1959, when Clem Thomas (Swansea) was the Welsh captain.
He finished his career in 1963 with Tredegar and then moved to the Birmingham area, though always attending Cross Keys reunions. However, he died at the age of 69, when collapsed at the wheel of his car near his Solihull home.
