Castleford Tigers mourn former player who also had spells with Leeds rugby league clubs

A prop-forward, Chawner made his debut for hometown club Castleford in a 15-0 Easter Monday derby at Featherstone Rovers on April 23, 1973. The last of his 14 appearances came on Boxing Day that year, also at Featherstone, when Castleford were beaten 10-6.

After Castleford, Chawner joined New Hunslet where he played throughout the 1974-75 and 1975-76 seasons, scoring six tries in 51 appearances. His final game was a 17-15 loss to Batley on September 12, 1976.

Earlier in his career, Chawner had stepped up from the Bison Sports amateur team to play one game for the old Hunslet club during a players’ strike. He kicked a goal in a 54-5 defeat at Oldham on August 26, 1970. Chawner also featured professionally with Huddersfield and Keighley and his amateur clubs included Market District, Queens (as captain) and Yew Tree.