Don Fox

It was the great misfortune of Don Fox, who has died aged 72, to be best-remembered for the worst moment of his career, a missed last-minute goal-kick that cost Wakefield Trinity the 1968 Challenge Cup final against Leeds at Wembley and left Fox a disconsolate figure, the "poor lad" of Eddie Waring's BBC commentary. That incident unfairly overshadowed an excellent personal performance that had already secured him the Lance Todd trophy as man of the match, and also a distinguished 18-season career in which he set a try-scoring record for Featherstone Rovers, helped Wakefield win their first two championships, and shared in three victories against Australia - one of them for Great Britain, when he won his single Test cap in 1963.

Fox was born in the mining village of Sharlston, between Featherstone and Wakefield, the second of three brothers who would all make a significant mark on the game. Don signed for Featherstone, making his debut as a 17-year-old in September 1953, the first of 368 appearances for the club in which he scored 1,492 points, including 162 tries. He played mostly at scrum-half and formed a highly effective partnership with Joe Mullaney, a schoolboy friend, leading Rovers to famous victories in the 1959 Yorkshire Cup final against Hull, and against both the 1959 and 1963 Kangaroo tourists at Post Office Road.

He was selected for the 1962 Lions tour of Australia with his younger brother, Neil, and although he played only four matches before a shoulder injury forced him to return home, he was called into the Test team the following year for the third match of a home series against the Kangaroos that was already lost, scoring a try and kicking two goals in a 16-5 Great Britain win.

He joined Neil at Wakefield in September 1965, and was a key figure in their championship-deciding victories over St Helens in 1967 and Hull KR the following year. The latter triumph came a week before the fateful cup final, and was significant because Neil suffered a groin injury that would rule him out of the Wembley game, leaving Don to take over the goal kicking.

Torrential rain in the hours before kick-off had left standing water on the pitch and, as the match built towards the final whistle, Leeds were awarded a penalty try to take an 11-7 lead. With barely time to restart the game, Fox kicked off towards the right touchline, and the Wakefield wing Ken Hirst hacked the ball ahead for an improbable try, his second, reducing Trinity's arrears to 11-10. That left just a relatively simple kick in front of the posts to win the game.

Despite the miss, Fox was given a warm reception by the Wakefield supporters at a parade on the Monday after the final. He had considered retiring, aged 32, beforehand, but was persuaded to play on for one more season with Trinity, and then joined Batley, where he was later coach. He then returned to a quiet life as a joiner at Sharlston colliery, which closed down in 1983.

He was treated for severe depression in recent years, and after being admitted to hospital two weeks ago, suffered a fall from which he never recovered. He is survived by wife Mary, son Gregory and grand-daughter Lauren.

· Don Fox, rugby league player, born October 15 1935; died August 21 2008