Cecil Pedlow

Last updated

Cecil Pedlow
Birth nameAlexander Cecil Pedlow
Date of birth(1934-01-20)20 January 1934
Place of birth Lurgan, Northern Ireland
Date of death9 November 2019(2019-11-09) (aged 85)
Rugby union career
Position(s) Wing/Centre
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Queen's University RFC ()
Correct as of 7 Aug 2011
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1953–1963 Ireland 30 (31)
1955 Lions 2 (5)
Correct as of 7 Aug 2011

Alexander Cecil Pedlow (20 January 1934 – 9 November 2019) was an Irish rugby union player, particularly remembered for his tenure with the British Lions. He represented Ireland 30 times and the British Lions, earning two caps for them on the 1955 tour to South Africa. [1] He retired in 1963.

Contents

Personal life

Pedlow was born in Lurgan on 20 January 1934. His father Robert was a country doctor in Lurgan and a keen sportsman, playing rugby for Lurgan RFC. Pedlow's great-uncle James Cecil Parke, was another all-time Irish great. Pedlow's grandfather, Robert Pedlow and great grandfather Joseph Pedlow [2] were also Irish rugby internationals. The eldest of the Pedlow brothers, Peter, went on to become an Irish swimming champion. He held the Irish butterfly-stroke record for 7 years. Peter was also a consultant gynaecologist and was credited with introducing the "dolphin" stroke into Irish swimming at the time.

Early sports career

Cecil Pedlow represented Ireland at squash, rugby and controversially missed out on representing Ireland in the Davis Cup at tennis. He did go on to represent Irish tennis at veteran and vintage representative levels and won numerous titles all over Ireland.

Pedlow had already represented Ireland (junior level) at Junior Wimbledon after winning the u-18 title at the All-Ireland Tennis Championships at Fitzwilliam Tennis Club (Dublin) in 1952, aged 17. Pedlow was sent a telegram from the ILTA stating that he had been picked to represent Ireland at Wimbledon and that the ITLA would pay for his fare (second class) to represent his country at Junior Wimbledon. Pedlow went out in the second round (after getting a bye in the first) to a talented French junior. Pedlow later arranged to meet his victor at the French Championships at Roland Garros in 2004.

Pedlow showed early promise at other sports including hockey and cricket. He was educated at Garth House (A Campbell College Prep- School) and then attended Ulster's only private school, Campbell College when he was 11 and became a full-time boarder. Pedlow's first sporting achievements started off at Campbell College playing hockey and enjoying the 'bat ball' philosophy behind the game.

After Campbell College, Pedlow moved from east to south Belfast to attend Queen's University Belfast and studied dentistry. Queen's provided the career platform to further his professional and sporting career.

Pedlow played for the university freshers in his first year but his strength, speed and footballing talent soon propelled him towards provincial and national honours and the provincial/international selectors began to take notice. Pedlow was a fierce tackler and despite relatively poor eyesight, this did not prove to be major hindrance in his sporting career.

International rugby

Pedlow's first cap was against Wales at the Cardiff Arms Park in the 1954–55 season in which Ireland lost 6–3.

According to Pedlow, "The game was a bit dull and I found myself with the ball with a chance to drop-kick-it was my first cap but I decided to go for it-I hit it. Bang. It sliced to the right wing miles away. It was very embarrassing but it ended up at the touchline corner-flag and we scored- I was extremely lucky as I got picked again."

Further international recognition followed and Pedlow established himself as the leading centre/wing for Ireland over the next eight years. Pedlow finished his career with 30 Irish caps ("One more than Cliff Morgan and Tony O'Reilly"-he quipped) and two Lions caps.

Pedlow reached the zenith of his career in 1955 when he was selected for the historic tour to South Africa for the Irish and British Lions. The tour was managed and captained by fellow Ulstermen Jack Siggins Robin Thompson. Pedlow's favourite sport was tennis when he managed to finish off one of the most iconic tries of all time in the history of Rugby Union.

Pedlow played in the first and fourth tests on the 1955 tour and if the statistics include the Rhodesian (as it was then) leg of the tour, he ended up as top points scorer as he was also a talented goal kicker. The test series finished in a 2–2 which was seen as an excellent result as away series victories were extremely rare against the South Africa Springboks. Pedlow kept a detailed diary of the whole tour and this diary was referenced in Stewart McKinney's book [3] Pedlow's last cap for Ireland was against France.

After rugby

Pedlow went on to represent Ireland at squash six times and won various tournaments all over Ireland. He also went on to represent Ireland again at veteran age level (over 45) and was the Irish Champion for seven successive years during which he remained unbeaten and did not lose a single match.

At vintage level (over 55), once again, he became all-Ireland champion and represented Ireland in various international championships.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. P. R. Williams</span> Welsh rugby union player (1949–2024)

John Peter Rhys Williams was a Welsh rugby union player who represented Wales in international rugby during their Golden Era in the 1970s. He became known universally as J. P. R. Williams four years after his Welsh debut, in 1973 when J. J. Williams joined the Welsh team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neil Back</span> 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell College</span> School in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Campbell College located in Belfast, Northern Ireland and founded in 1894 comprises a preparatory school department and a senior Northern Ireland 'Voluntary Grammar' school, the latter meaning, in terms of provision of education, a government funded, selective school.

Seamus Oliver Campbell is an Irish former rugby union player. He played flyhalf for Ireland from 1976 to 1984. He is most well known for his role in orchestrating Ireland's Triple Crown victory at the 1982 Five Nations Championship, breaking a drought of over 30 years. Campbell has been described as Ireland's most complete flyhalf since Jackie Kyle.

Cameron Michael Henderson GibsonMBE is an Irish former rugby union international player who represented Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.

Clifford Isaac Morgan, was a Welsh rugby union player who played for Cardiff RFC and earned 29 caps for Wales between 1951 and 1958. After his playing career ended, Morgan made a successful career in broadcasting, both as a commentator and presenter and also as a programme-maker and BBC executive.

In 1980 the British Lions rugby union team toured South Africa. The tour was not a success for the Lions, as they lost the first three tests before salvaging some pride with a win in the fourth. The team did however win all their 14 non-international matches. The Lions were captained by Bill Beaumont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tommy Bowe</span> Ireland international rugby union player

Thomas John Bowe is an Irish television presenter and former rugby union player from County Monaghan, Ireland. He played on the wing for Ulster, Ospreys, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeremy Davidson (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

Jeremy William Davidson is a rugby union coach and former player who played as a lock for Ulster, London Irish and Castres, and at international level for Ireland and the British & Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Belfast Harlequins</span> School in Belfast, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Belfast Harlequins is a multi-sports club located off the Malone Road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. The club name provides the overall umbrella for rugby union, men's and ladies' hockey, and squash. The club is associated on and off the field with Methodist College Belfast (MCB).

Bryn Cunningham is an Irish rugby union administrator and former player. He played fullback for Ulster, making 150 appearances between 1997 and 2010, and was the team's Player of the Year in 2002–2003. Since 2014 he has been responsible for player recruitment at Ulster, initially as Team Manager, later as Operations Director.

Paul Stephen Wallace is a former Irish rugby union player who played tight head prop for Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. Wallace was once regarded as the world's best tight-head prop, and was known as a very effective scrummager, and a player with good ball skills.

William Raymond Hunter was a Northern Irish cricketer and rugby union player. He played for Ireland in both sports. In cricket he won 28 international caps and played in 11 first-class matches. In rugby he played ten times for Ireland in the Five Nations, scoring one try. He also played for the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malone RFC</span> Irish rugby union club, based in Belfast

Malone RFC is a rugby union club based in Belfast, in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the Division 2B of the All-Ireland League. The club is affiliated with the Ulster Branch, itself part of the Irish Rugby Football Union. It is one of the last remaining Belfast rugby clubs not to have amalgamated and still plays at its original ground. As well as its successful Senior teams, it has a thriving Youth and Mini structure, and was the first Mini rugby team from Ireland to play in the renowned Fundacion Cisneros International rugby tournament in Madrid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Cecil Parke</span> Irish tennis player

James Cecil Parke was an Irish rugby union player, tennis player, golfer, solicitor and World War I veteran. He became an Olympic silver medallist, Davis Cup champion, Wimbledon Mixed Doubles winner and Australasian Championships winner in both Singles and Doubles. He has often been referred to as Ireland's greatest ever sportsman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruce Hay</span> Scotland international rugby union player

Bruce Hamilton Hay was a Scotland international rugby union player.

Kenneth William Kennedy was an Irish rugby union player who played hooker for Ireland and the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Beamish</span> British Lions & Ireland rugby union player and Royal Air Force Air Marshal (1905-1967)

Air Marshal Sir George Robert Beamish, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force from the Second World War to his retirement in the late 1950s. Prior to the Second World War, while Beamish was in the RAF, he was a keen rugby union player, playing for Leicester and being capped 26 times for Ireland and was selected for the 1930 British Lions tour. He was also the chairman of the RAF Rugby Union and an Air Force rugby selector.

Queen's University Belfast Rugby Football Club is the rugby union team of Queen's University Belfast, currently playing in Division 1B of the All-Ireland League. Founded in 1869, it is the most successful and oldest continuous rugby union club in Northern Ireland. They originally played as Queen's College, Belfast and have won the Ulster Senior Cup a record 23 times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club</span> Tennis club in Dublin, Ireland

Fitzwilliam Lawn Tennis Club is a tennis and squash club in Dublin, Ireland, with indoor swimming, gymnasium, padel and clubhouse facilities. Established in 1877, Fitzwilliam is one of the oldest tennis clubs in the world.

References

  1. Infos at lionsrugby.com Archived 2011-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ESPN
  3. Roars from the back of the bus