KeithQuinnRugby
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You are here: Home » Richie McCaw - All Black 2001-2015.
Are there any more accolades coming the way of this Rugbyman? (captured here by Andy Herraud's fine cartoon in 2012)
18 August 2015
This cartoon was commissioned by Billy Graham and the Naenae Youth Charitable Trust in 2012. It was done by Lower Hutt's Andy Heraud.
Comments 1
By a 20-point winning margin over France the All Blacks become the first winners of the William Webb Ellis Trophy. A great day for the game worldwide!
BEAUMONT, BILL
Fylde and England
34 internationals for England 1975–82
7 internationals for British Isles 1977–80
William Blackledge Beaumont was just a lad of 11 when England won the Five Nations championship in 1963. When England next won the championship in March 1980, Beaumont was six days past his 28th birthday and was captain of the team. It was England’s first Grand Slam for 23 years, and it ensured Beaumont a prominent niche in that country’s rugby history.
In the 1970s a depression hung over English rugby – five times in that decade it had finished last in the Five Nations championship. The first signs of resurgence came when Beaumont, who had been a lower grade fullback at his club eight years before and an England lock for four years, led the Northern Division of England to victory over the 1979 All Blacks. His quiet style and unassuming manner belied a determination to succeed on the field. These qualities were somehow transferred to the England team of 1980.
In 1980, Beaumont led the British Isles to South Africa, a controversial tour accompanied by anti-apartheid protests in many parts of the world.
He played well and off the field behaved with quiet dignity. Sadly, his Lions team was not able to win for him another notable victory, going down 1–3 in the series.
Beaumont was a lock who had deceptive pace around the field and excellent ball skills. He was a front-of-the-lineout jumper and his strength at scrum time was a grand help to many an English international effort.
His playing career came to an abrupt end. In the 1982 English county final he complained about a head injury, which had affected him in several previous games, and left the field. Beaumont took medical advice and quit the game, right at the peak of his powers. He was only 29 years old.
There was great sadness in English rugby circles, but the ever-cheerful Beaumont carried on, making a name for himself as a TV commentator, then as a TV sports quiz panelist. He was awarded the OBE in 1982 and a CBE in 2008. He also became a rugby administrator, being England’s delegate to the IRB and in 2002 being voted onto the IRB Executive Committee. He has held that position since.
In 2012 he was elected Chairman of The Rugby Football Union (England).
From 2007 the winning team playing in the English County Championship is awarded the Bill Beaumont Cup.
Who said; 'Rugby League is a simple game played by simple people. Rugby Union is a complex game played by wankers?'
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30 August 2015 (8 years ago)
Mooloomagic
Keith, did you see Ron Jarden play? His era is before my time but as I was born in 1955 out of curiosity I read the 1956 Alamanck recently and I see that Ron scored 30 tries in just 16 matches in 1955 which is amazing and no one since has achieved that in a calendar year . I would love your thoughts and impressions on Ron Jarden who must have been one hell of a footballer
Dave