Bob Barker (rugby union)

Last updated

Bob Barker
Birth nameRobert George Barker
Date of birth (1944-10-23) 23 October 1944 (age 77)
Place of birth Leicester, England
School Alderman Newton's School
Occupation(s)Head Teacher
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
19681979 Leicester Tigers 320 (1,117)

Robert George Barker (born 23 October 1944) [1] is a former rugby union wing who played 320 times for Leicester Tigers between 1968 and 1979. In 1977 he became only the third Leicester player to score 150 tries for the club, [1] and is still joint third in the clubs list of all time try scorers.

Barker made his Leicester debut against Northampton Saints on 19 October 1968, despite scoring a try Barker was not used again until March when he became more of a regular featuring in 14 of the last 17 matches that season. [2] Originally a centre Barker switched to his more common position on the wing during the 1969-70 season, during which he became the club's regular goal kicker and was the season's top scorer with 145 points. [3] In 1971-72 Barker would be the club's top try scorer with 26 in 30 games, [4] a feat he repeated in 1972-73, 73-74, 75-76 and 77-78. [5] On 11 September 1973 Barker scored the winning try as Leicester beat the touring Fiji national team 22-17 at Welford Road, [6] and in 1978 he was part of the Leicester side that reached the 1978 John Player Cup Final, only to lose 6-3 to Gloucester. Barker's late run proving the closest Leicester were to get to the Gloucester try line. He played for a further two season but featured in only 10 more games for the club. [7]

Sources

Related Research Articles

Leicester Tigers

Leicester Tigers are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.

Martin Johnson (rugby union) Rugby player

Martin Osborne Johnson CBE is an English retired rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester in a career spanning 16 seasons. He captained England to victory in the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and is regarded as one of the greatest locks ever to have played, and one of England's greatest ever players.

Neil Back British Lions & England international rugby union player

Neil Antony Back MBE is a former international rugby union footballer for England and the British & Irish Lions who also played for Nottingham RFC, Leicester Tigers, and captained both England and Leicester during his career.

Martin Corry (rugby union) Rugby player

Martin Edward Corry MBE is a retired English rugby union player who represented and captained England and Leicester Tigers in a career spanning 14 seasons. Corry played 64 times for England between 1997 and 2007, played 7 tests for the British & Irish Lions on tours in 2001 & 2005, and played 290 times for Leicester between 1997 and 2009. Earlier in his career he played top division rugby for Newcastle Gosforth and Bristol. A versatile player his principal positions were number eight and blindside flanker, he also played lock more as his career progressed.

Leon David Lloyd is a retired English rugby union footballer who played wing or outside centre for Leicester Tigers between 1996 and 2007, spending his final 2007/8 season at Gloucester.

Dean Richards is a rugby union coach and former player for Leicester Tigers, England and British & Irish Lions. He is the Director of Rugby at Newcastle Falcons, a position he has held since 2012.

Jonny May Rugby player

Jonathan James May is a professional rugby union player for Gloucester in Premiership Rugby and for the England national team. He plays as a winger and is known for his speed and try scoring.

Koloti Telusa Pelaki Veainu is a rugby union player. He plays at fullback or on the wing for Stade Français. He was born and raised in New Zealand, but he represents Tonga internationally. He is known for his speed, elusiveness and strength from fullback, earning him a place in Will Greenwood's Daily Telegraph team of the year for 2016/17.

Doug Prentice Rugby player

Frank Douglas Prentice was an English rugby union player and administrator who played 239 games for Leicester Tigers between 1923 and 1931, was captain of the 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia and served as Secretary of the Rugby Football Union between 1947 and 1962.

Percy Lawrie (rugby union) Rugby player

Percy William Lawrie was a rugby union wing who played 318 games for Leicester Tigers between 1907 and 1924 and twice for England between 1910 and 1911.

David Joseph Matthews was an English rugby union flanker who played a record 502 games for Leicester Tigers from 1955 to 1974 as well as for Leicestershire, Midlands Counties (East) and the Barbarians. At Leicester he was also a coach, director and was a life member.

Michael John Duggan known as John Duggan was a rugby union wing who played a 302 games for Leicester Tigers from 1970 to 1980.

Douglas James Norman was a rugby union player who appeared in 453 games for Leicester Tigers between 1920–1933, and twice for England in 1932. He started his career playing as a flanker, but switched to the front row midway through his career and from then on played predominantly at hooker.

History of Leicester Tigers details the history of the rugby union club based in Leicester, England. Nicknamed the Tigers from 1885, Leicester have been a prominent club from the earliest days of organised English rugby dominating midlands rugby before the First World War; providing British Lions captains in 1930, 1936, 1997 and 2001; and winning 20 major titles since 1979 including a record 10 Premiership Rugby titles.

Ralph Arthur Buckingham was a rugby union centre and five-eighths who played 325 games for Leicester Tigers between 1924 and 1935 and once for England in 1927.

Robert John Barr was a rugby union player who appeared in 241 games for Leicester Tigers between 1928–1939, and three times for England in 1932. He was also one of only two people to have been captain, secretary and president of Leicester Tigers.

Joseph Thomas Wade Berry known as Tom Berry was a rugby union player and administrator who appeared in 277 games for Leicester Tigers between 1932–1948, and three times for England in 1939. He was President of the Rugby Football Union for the 1968–69 season, the first person from Leicester Tigers to hold the position and was also tour manager of England's first over-seas tour in 1963.

David St George Hazell was a rugby union player who appeared for Leicester Tigers between 1953–1956, for Bristol Rugby between 1956–64, and four times for England in 1955.

Stephen Thomas Hackney is an English former rugby union player. A wing he played in England's top division of domestic rugby union for Nottingham and Leicester Tigers, and also played in the second division for Moseley and Waterloo.

References

  1. 1 2 Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 346.
  2. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 174.
  3. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 175.
  4. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 177.
  5. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 185-198.
  6. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 178.
  7. Farmer & Hands 2014, p. 199.