2007 20th Century Nominees to the IRB Hall of Fame
Nominees - 20th century:
20.1 William (Sir) Wavel Wakefield (England)
Born in 1898 he played for and captained Sedbergh School, Cambridge, Royal Air Force, Harlequins, Leicester and Barbarians. He represented England 31 times and captained his country during the most successful period in the 20th century history when they were unbeaten for several years and won two Grand Slams in succession. He also played for the combined England/Wales team in the Centenary match against the combined Scotland/Ireland at Rugby School in 1923, and he became the 42nd President of the RFU
20.2. Daniel Carroll (Australia & USA)
Played for St. George Club in Sydney, NSW and Wallabies. At 18 the youngest member of the first Wallabies, he was a member of the Olympic Champion team at the London Olympics in 1908. He toured the United States with the 1913 Wallabies and decided to join Stanford University of study engineering. He becomes player coach of the University team. He joins the US Army during the war and rises through the ranks to become an officer. After the war he plays for his country of birth in the big Inter-Services Championship and in 1920 he becomes the player coach of the USA team – largely a Stanford team - winners of the Gold medal in the 1920 Olympics, the first double gold Olympian of rugby.
20.3 Daniel (Dr.) Hartman Craven (South Africa)
The young scrum-half of the 1931/32 Springboks, left his mark on the game as one of its greatest practicants, thinkers and administrators in a career that spanned more than half a century. Craven, who developed the dive pass on the 1931 tour became the captain of the 1937 Springboks to New Zealand, still described today as “the best side to have left the shores of New Zealand”. On that tour he showed his versatility playing in a variety of positions, from scrum-half to centre and No8,and led his men to a memorable test series win. He became the coach of the 1951 Springboks, and from his seat at Stellenbosh University he became the President of South African Rugby Football Board and a respected and hard working representative on the IRB. His enormous contribution to the tactical and technical side of the game has won him the admiration of the world.
20.4 Ken Catchpole (Australia)
Arguably one of the world’s finest scrum-halves grew up in Randwick in Sydney. During his time at Scots College he started playing rugby and went on playing until he joined the Randwick club where his talent was immediately recognised by the two leading lights of the “Flying Greens” Cyril Towers and Wally Meagher. Still 19 he was selected for NSW who defeated the 1959 Lions 18-14. He made his test debut in 1961 against Fiji. That year he was appointed captain and coach of the Wallabies during their short tour on South Africa, the youngest ever to captain his country on tour. He was the scrum-half of the 1963 Wallaby tour of South Africa, when he was hailed as the world’s greatest scrum-half. He represented Australia in 27 tests and was severely injured in his final test against New Zealand in 1968. :mad:
20.5 George Nepia (NZ)
Born in 1905, the year of the first All Black tour. Significantly, the young Maori fullback was only 19 when he was selected for the 1924/25 “Invincibles”, the second All Black tour to the Northern Hemisphere. He was outstanding on the tour and played in all 32 matches being described by press and opposition as the world’s best fullback. He played a total of 46 matches for New Zealand between 1924-1930 and also represented NZ Maoris 1931-35. He died in Rotorua in 1986, a year before the first RWC.
20.6 Robert Soro (France)
Played for the grand team of Lourdes was born in 1922 and represented France 21 times. He made his international debut in the second row, when he started a formidable partnership with Alban Moga, against the British Army on January 1, 1945, while Europe was still at war. It was France’s first match against the British after 1933, when the Home Unions decided to break off relations with French rugby. In 1948 Soro was the man of the match in the first French victory on Welsh soil since 1910, at Swansea, and got the nickname “The Lions of Swansea”.
20.7 Bleddyn Williams (Wales)
Born in 1920 in Taffs Well, he went to Rydal School in Colwyn Bay in North Wales. He was 19 when the Second World War broke out and he joined the RAF as his promising career got delayed. During the war he played for the Welsh Services in 1942 and was selected as part of the strong British Armed Forces team (which included both Union and League players) to play France in 1945 at Richmond, the first international match played in Britain after the war. After the war he rejoined Cardiff, his only club and won the first of his 22 caps against England in 1947. He and his life-long friend Dr Jack Matthews, were selected for the 1950 Lions tour to New Zealand - Williams as vice-Captain - where they were hailed as the best pair of centres in the world rugby. He captained his country against New Zealand in 1953, the last time Wales won against the visitors.
20.8 Willie John McBride (Ireland)
One of the all time greats of Irish and British Isles rugby, McBride was born at Toomebridge in County Antrim, in Nothern Ireland in 1940. A late starter in the game – he commenced playing at 17 – he was an Irish International and a British Lion by 21. He became the mainstay of the Irish pack (he won 63 caps for Ireland) and played 17 tests for the British and Irish Lions during several tours, which included the 1971 conquering tour of New Zealand. In 1974, he was appointed the Captain of the Lions team in South Africa, and his leadership on the field, with the astute coaching of Syd Millar off it, helped the Lions win the test series, for the first time in the 20th century. He coached Ulster and Ireland and managed the 1983 Lions to New Zealand.
20.9 Gareth Edwards (Wales)
Born in a mining family in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, a village in Swansea Valley in July 1947. Thanks to an anonymous sponsor and his all-round athletic ability he went to Millfield School where his unusual talent was identified and developed. At 19 he was selected to play for Wales, the first of his 63 caps (53 for Wales and 10 for the Lions) and at 20 he was captain of his country. He was member of a rampant Welsh team, which won three Grand Slams, five Triple Crowns, five Championship titles and two shared ones. He was member of the most successful Lions teams ever, the 1971 team to New Zealand and the 1974 tourists to South Africa. Probably the world greatest player.
20.10 Adrian D. Stoop (England)
Born in 1883, he was arguably one of the finest players to represent his country. A thinker and innovator he is credited with the revival of the back play at a time England were still suffering in the aftermath of the 1995 Great Schism. He won the first of his 15 caps against Scotland in 1905 and went on playing until 1912. He served in the war as Captain in the 5th Queen’s (Royal West Surrey) and was wounded in action. He became the RFU President in 1923, the year he also served on the IRB. He was a selector between 1927-1931 and wrote a brilliant essay about the art of passing in 1913.
20.11. Wilson Whineray (New Zealand)
Born in 1935 he started playing scrum-half at a famous rugby nursery Auckland Grammar School. By the time he had toured Ceylon (Sri Lanka) with New Zealand U21 and Japan with the U23s he had graduated to prop forward, position he played for the rest of his career. He captained the All on the 1963/64 tour of the Northern Hemisphere when the tourists, lost only one match to Newport, though they drew 0-0 with Scotland. Regarded as one of New Zealand’s greatest captains, Whineray after winning only six of his first 11 tests in charge, steadied himself and won 22 of the next 30 tests in charge. After the 1963 tour he took a year off the game, to retrun successfully in 1965 for the Springbok Series.
20.12 Gareth Rees (Canada)
Born in 1967, the young Canadian played for Castaway Wanderers and British Columbia in his country, but also for Richmond and Harlequins during his various trips to Britain. He part of a generation of players who put Canadian rugby on the world map and his contribution to Canada’s coming of age can not be overestimated. He played for the Canadian team that reached the quarterfinals of the 1991 RWC, where they gave New Zealand a good game in Lille and captained his country both in 1995 and 1999 Tournaments. He was the first player to participate in four RWC tournaments: 1987, 1991, 1995 and 1999.
