Don Rutherford

Last updated

Don Rutherford
Date of birth(1937-09-22)22 September 1937
Place of birth Tynemouth, England
Date of death13 November 2016(2016-11-13) (aged 79)
SchoolTynemouth High School
University St Luke's College, Exeter
Occupation(s)Rugby player
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fullback
Amateur team(s)
YearsTeamApps(Points)
Preston Grasshoppers ()
St Luke's College ()
RAF ()
Combined Services ()
Percy Park ()
Wasps ()
Gloucester ()
Gloucestershire ()
Northumberland ()
Barbarian F.C. ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
1960–1967 England 14 (36)
1966 British Lions 1 (5)

Donald Rutherford OBE (22 September 1937 – 12/13 November 2016) was an England international rugby union player and administrator. [1] [2] He was the first ever Technical Director of the Rugby Football Union at Twickenham, becoming Director of Rugby where he served with distinction from 1969 – 1999.

Contents

During his career he played for St Luke's College, RAF, Combined Services, Percy Park, Wasps and Northumberland. However he is most closely associated with Gloucester and Gloucestershire for whom he played from 1964 to 1968. [3]

He won fourteen caps for England, the first in 1960 against Wales, [4] which England won 14–0; and toured Australia and New Zealand with the 1966 British Lions. He appeared for the Barbarians on a number of occasions between 1960 and 1968 including one as captain.

Early life

Don Rutherford trained as a physical education teacher at St Luke's College, Exeter. He did his National Service in the RAF. He played for the RAF and Combined Services and while still in the RAF he had his first England trial in 1958, playing for the Whites against the Colours (scrum half for the Colours in that trial was Micky Booth).

He had already joined Percy Park RFC in Northumberland and played for the club until 1963.

Rugby career

During that time Rutherford won his first four caps for England in the 1960 Five Nations tournament and appeared against South Africa at Twickenham in January 1961. He played an outstanding game for North East Counties against the All Blacks in January 1964.

At the end of the 1963–64 season Rutherford joined Gloucester. He made his debut for Gloucestershire in November 1964 and was selected for the first of the 1965 Home Internationals, scoring the winning points in a surprise win against France 9–6. [5] He was an ever-present for England in the Five Nations in 1964–65 and 1965–66.

During his period at Gloucester, he was appointed as senior master in charge of PE, rugby and swimming at Wycliffe College in nearby Stonehouse.

He was selected to tour Australia and New Zealand with the British Lions. He played in the first of the two Internationals against Australia but on the New Zealand leg of the tour he broke his arm playing against Manuwatu, which required a metal plate and had to be flown home. He played once more for England against New Zealand in 1967.

Rutherford had a successful season for Gloucester and Gloucestershire in 1967–68. He captained the club, playing with remarkable consistency and scoring over 300 points. He broke his arm again playing for the Barbarians against Newport in April 1968 and he was advised to retire from the game.

Administration

While with Gloucester, Don Rutherford introduced a coaching creed that was continued in the successful years that followed under the captaincy of Dick Smith.

Rutherford became Technical Director of the Rugby Union in September 1969 – their first-ever professional appointment.[ citation needed ] In 30 years at the RFU he initiated coaching and playing programmes, which have been emulated by rugby playing countries across the world.[ citation needed ] He was made Director of Rugby and built up a nationwide structure, starting with mini-rugby through to the national team, providing a stream of playing talent.

He returned to Kingsholm in October 1973, having assembled an international team to play Gloucester in their centenary game.

Death

It was announced on 14 November 2016 that Rutherford had died over the previous weekend at the age of 79. [6]

Awards

Publications

Written:

Edited and written

Video

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">England national rugby union team</span> Sports team

The England national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union in men's international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. England have won the championship on 29 occasions, winning the Grand Slam 14 times and the Triple Crown 26 times, making them the most successful outright winners in the tournament's history. They are currently the only team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Rugby World Cup, having won the tournament in 2003, and have been runners-up on three further occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Vickery (rugby union)</span> British Lions & England international rugby union footballer

Philip John Vickery MBE DL is a former English rugby union tighthead prop and member of the England squad. He was a member of England's World Cup winning squad in 2003, playing in all seven matches in the tournament, and is a former England captain. Vickery ended his club rugby career at London Wasps, joining the London side in 2006 after eleven years with Gloucester Rugby. Given the nickname "Raging Bull", he played in three Rugby World Cups, including as England captain in the 2007 tournament, and toured Australia and South Africa with the British & Irish Lions. Made his debut for Bolingey Barbarians Sunday 25th Sept 2022 vs Bude vets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Tindall</span> English rugby union player (born 1978)

Michael James Tindall, is an English former rugby union player and a member of the British royal family. Tindall played outside centre for Bath and Gloucester, and won 75 caps for England between 2000 and 2011. He was a member of the England squad which won the 2003 World Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eddie Jones (rugby union)</span> Australian rugby union coach and former player

Edward Jones is an Australian rugby union coach and former player. He most recently coached the Australia national team from January until October 2023. He previously coached Australia, Japan and England. He returned to the role of Japan head coach in January 2024.

Rugby union in Cornwall is Cornwall's most popular spectator sport with a large following. The followers of the national side are dubbed Trelawny's Army. In 1991 and 1999 Cornwall won the County Championship final played at Twickenham Stadium, beating Yorkshire and Gloucestershire respectively to win the Cup. They had another strong spell in the 2010s, reaching seven of the eight finals contested between 2013 and 2022, winning four of them.

Michael Clive Teague is an English rugby union player who played for the British Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Burton (rugby union)</span> England international rugby union player

Michael Alan Burton is a former English rugby union footballer, who won a reputation as an uncompromising prop forward for Gloucester, England and the British and Irish Lions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army Rugby Union</span> Rugby team

The Army Rugby Union (ARU) is the governing body for rugby union in the British Army and a constituent body of the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The ARU was formed on 31 December 1906 and marked the fulfilment of Lieutenant J. E. C. "Birdie" Partridge's idea to have a body to administer the playing of rugby union in the British Army.

Aleki Lutui in Tofoa, Tonga, is a Tongan rugby union international player. His position is hooker. He is currently playing club rugby for Ampthill in RFU Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Akapusi Qera</span> Rugby player

Akapusi Qera is a Fijian professional rugby union player. A Flanker or No.8. He is married to wife Phillipha Talei and together they have four children. Qera is also from a Christian sporting family; his father was an international cricketer for Fiji and his brother also played international rugby for Fiji. He is also a first cousin of Fiji test international Viliame Veikoso. Qera is a current test international and 15's captain for Fiji Qera has also represented the Barbarians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Banahan</span> Rugby player

Matthew Andrew Banahan is a former rugby union player who played for Bath and Gloucester in Premiership Rugby, between 2006 and 2021. Born in Jersey, he played 20 times for England but capped 16 times between 2009 and 2011. His main position was wing, however he could also operate as an inside or outside centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union</span> Rugby team

The Gloucestershire Rugby Football Union is the union responsible for rugby union in the county of Gloucestershire, England and is one of the constituent bodies of the national Rugby Football Union. Formed in 1878, it has won the county championship on numerous occasions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl Dickson</span> Rugby player

Karl Dickson, is an English professional rugby union referee and former scrum half for Bedford Blues and Harlequins. He has previously coached at St. John's School, Leatherhead.

Robin James Cowling is an English retired rugby union player. He won 8 caps for England between 1977 and 1979, and played 216 games for Gloucester Rugby between 1967 and 1974 before playing 184 times for Leicester Tigers between 1974 and his retirement in 1981.

Avonmouth Old Boys Rugby Football Club is an English rugby union team based in Shirehampton in Bristol. The club run three men senior teams, a vets side, a ladies team, a colts side and a youth section featuring the full range of age-groups including three girls' age groups. The first XV play in Western Counties North, a level-seven league in the English rugby union system.

The Royal Air Force Rugby Union (RAFRU) was formed in 1918 to administer the playing of rugby union in the Royal Air Force. It fields a representative side that competes in the Inter-Services tournament with the Army Rugby Union and the Royal Navy Rugby Union.

The RFU Senior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since the 2006–07 season. It is contested for by teams at level 8 of the English rugby union system, with only 1st XV sides being allowed to enter. The competition is a national one but is split into regions until the semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London. As of 2018-19 it is the fourth most prestigious national club cup competition in England behind the Premiership Rugby Cup, RFU Championship Cup and RFU Intermediate Cup.

The RFU Junior Vase is a rugby union national knockout cup competition in England run by the Rugby Football Union, which has been competed for since 1990. It is mostly contested by 1st XV teams at level 9 of the English rugby union system, although sides as low as level 12 or even outside the league system can sometimes enter. The competition is a national one, but split into regions until the national semi-finals with the final being held at Twickenham Stadium in London. Presently, the RFU Junior Vase is the fifth most important club cup competition in England, behind the Premiership Rugby Cup, RFU Championship Cup, RFU Intermediate Cup and RFU Senior Vase.

Josh Gray is an English rugby union player for Hartpury University R.F.C. in the RFU Championship. Gray can play across the back-row.

Barrie James Corless is an English former rugby union international.

References

  1. "Don Rutherford". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  2. Griffiths, John (1987). The Phoenix Book of International Rugby Records. London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. pp. 12:10. ISBN   0-460-07003-7.
  3. "Don Rutherford". gloucesterrugbyheritage.org.uk. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  4. "Five Nations – Twickenham, 16 January 1960: England (14) 14 – 6 (0) Wales". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  5. "ENGLISH BEAT FRANCE – British Pathe". britishpathe.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2010.
  6. "RFU".