Jean Galia Information & Jean Galia Links at HealthHaven.com

Jean Galia (born 20 March 1905 in Ille-sur-Têt, Pyrénées-Orientales, died 1949 in Toulouse) was a French rugby union and rugby league footballer and champion boxer. He is credited with establishing the sport of rugby league in France in 1934^[1] presenting it also through the expression: jeu à treize.

Playing in the forwards, Galia made his international debut for the France national rugby union team in a 1927 test against England in Paris. After 20 internationals, He later played in France's first ever rugby league international, also against England in Paris, on 15 April, 1934 and was captain of the France national rugby league team in its early days. Following Frances tour of Northern England, Galia arranged a series of demonstration matches around France^[2].

In 1988 Galia was inducted into the Rugby League Hall of Fame.

[edit] References

^ Collins, Tony (2009). A Social History of English Rugby Union. Taylor & Francis. pp. 175. ISBN 0415476607, 9780415476607. http://books.google.com/books?id=pnAQHIkijc0C&printsec=frontcover.
^ Dine, Philip (2001). French rugby football: a cultural history. Berg Publishers. pp. 86. ISBN 1859733271, 9781859733271. http://books.google.com/books?id=mfXa0dXyN6YC&printsec=frontcover.

[edit] External links

Jean Galia at scrum.com
Jean Galia's introduction of the May 1934 Yorkshire's tour in France : Jean Galia's parent of the expression jeu à treize or Game of thirteen
History of rugby league at napit.co.uk
History of Rugby football in France at independent.co.uk

[0] Collins, Tony (2009). A Social History of English Rugby Union. Taylor & Francis. pp. 175. ISBN 0415476607, 9780415476607. http://books.google.com/books?id=pnAQHIkijc0C&printsec=frontcover.

[1] Dine, Philip (2001). French rugby football: a cultural history. Berg Publishers. pp. 86. ISBN 1859733271, 9781859733271. http://books.google.com/books?id=mfXa0dXyN6YC&printsec=frontcover.

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