Profile

Tom White was born in Bath and played half back for his famous home town West Country club and became captain of the team. He represented Somerset county and was reserve for the Ireland v England game in 1904. After a spell with Bristol he returned to Bath from where Oldham signed him up in February 1905.

In the Northern Union he won both county and international honours, playing for Lancashire in 1906 and for Great Britain in the third test against the first touring team, the New Zealand “All Golds” of 1907-08. The match was played at Cheltenham with the tourists pinching the series with an 8 – 5 victory, Tom kicking the only British goal on the day.

A happier day was the 1911 League Championship Final, when Tom scored two tries in the 20 – 7 victory over Wigan. A half back of great speed, he played mostly at stand off for Oldham, but was just as happy at scrum half and possessed enough pace to fill in on the wing if required.

Like many of his team mates he joined the Manchester Regiment in the “Great War” and whilst in the services was selected for the British Army in a match, presumably under Union rules, against a colonial team. The Brits won easily 29 – 0, Tom weighing in with four tries. He marked the end of his first class career by scoring a try in the game at Leigh on December 13th, 1913, returning for one “friendly” match when on leave from the army against Swinton on Christmas Day 1915.