Frederick "Eric" E. Batten (13 June 1914 – 3 September 1993) was an English rugby union and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, and coached rugby league in the 1950s. He played club level rugby league (RU) for Sandal RUFC, and representative level rugby league (RL) for Great Britain and England, and at club level for Wakefield Trinity (two spells, including the second as a World War II guest), Hunslet, Featherstone Rovers (four spells, including the first three as a World War II guest) (captain), Leeds (two spells, including the first as a World War II guest), Castleford (World War II guest) and Bradford Northern, as a , and coached at club level for Featherstone Rovers, and Batley. Eric Batten appeared in eight Challenge Cup Finals; two for Leeds, five for Bradford Northern, and one for Featherstone Rovers, winning three, and losing five, he scored a total of 443 tries during his career, he his third on the all-time try scorers list behind Brian Bevan (796 tries), and Billy Boston (571 tries),
Background
Eric Batten's birth was registered in Sculcoates district, Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. He was a dustman in the cleansing department for Hemsworth Rural District council. He died aged 79 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, and he is buried in Lawnswood Cemetery, Leeds.
Playing career
Club career
Eric Batten started his rugby career playing rugby union at Sandal RUFC before signing for the rugby league club Wakefield Trinity in September 1933. He made his début for Wakefield Trinity in the 9–3 victory over Bradford Northern at Odsal Stadium, Bradford on Saturday 30 September 1933. He played 41 matches for Wakefield Trinity, scoring 12 tries in those matches, including a hat-trick against Hull Kingston Rovers in March 1936, before he moved to Hunslet in September 1936 for £400. During the war years, Eric returned to Wakefield Trinity as a World War II guest, playing two matches in May 1940, and one February 1943, in these three wartime matches he scored eight tries, including four against Huddersfield in May 1940, making his club total 20 tries in 44 appearances. he also played one match for Castleford as a World War II guest, he played against Dewsbury at Crown Flatt, Dewsbury on Saturday 14 February 1942.
International honours
Eric Batten won caps for England while at Hunslet in 1938 against Wales, in 1939 against France, and Wales, in 1940 against Wales, in 1941 against Wales, in 1943 against Wales, while at Bradford Northern in 1944 against Wales, in 1945 against Wales (2 matches), in 1946 against France (2 matches), and Wales, in 1947 against France, in 1948 against France, and won caps for Great Britain while at Bradford Northern in 1946 against Australia (2 matches), New Zealand, and in 1947 against New Zealand.
Championship final appearances
Eric Batten played right- in Hunslet's 8–2 victory over Leeds in the Championship Final during the 1937–38 at Elland Road, Leeds on Saturday 30 April 1938. and played in Bradford Northern's 26-20 aggregate victory over Halifax in the Championship Final during the 1944–45 season; the 2–9 defeat at Thrum Hall, Halifax, and the 24–11 victory at Odsal Stadium, Bradford.