Birth name | George Cookson | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 25 March 1874 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of death | 15 March 1950 75) | (aged||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of death | Port Elizabeth, South Africa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George Cookson (25 March 1874 – 15 March 1950) [1] was an English international rugby union half-back who played club rugby for Manchester. Cookson was selected for the British Isles on the 1899 tour of Australia playing in all four Test matches.
At the height of Cookson's rugby career, he was playing his club rugby for Manchester. He also played for Lancashire at county level, and gained a North of England cap in 1898. [2] In 1899 he was approached by Matthew Mullineux to join the British Isles rugby tour of Australia. Cookson played in 18 of the tour matches and all four Test matches against the Australia national team. [3] In the first Test he was partnered at centre with the tour captain, Mullineux, but after the team was defeated, Mullineux dropped himself from the team, bringing in Charlie Adamson from three-quarters to team-up with Cookson for the final three Tests. The selection tactic proved successful with the British winning the remaining contests with the Australian side.
On returning to Britain, Cookson continued to represent Manchester and in 1900 was invited to join British touring team the Barbarians. Despite being a British Isles player and being capped at North of England level, Cookson was never selected to play for the England national team.
The 1899 British Isles tour to Australia was the fourth rugby union tour by a British Isles team and the second to Australia; though the first tour in 1888 was a private venture, making the 1899 tour the first official undertaking of Australia. It is retrospectively classed as one of the British Lions tours, as the Lions naming convention was not adopted until 1950.
Matthew Mullineux MC was an English rugby union scrum-half who, although not capped for England, was selected for two British Lions tours. He gained one cap during the 1896 tour to South Africa and captained the 1899 tour of Australia. An Anglican minister, he later became a chaplain in the British Army, and was awarded the Military Cross for his actions during the First World War.
Osbert Gadesden Mackie was an English rugby union centre and Anglican priest. Mackie played club rugby for Wakefield Trinity, and Cambridge University and county rugby for Yorkshire. Mackie played international rugby for the British Isles XV on their 1896 tour of South Africa and on the return from Africa he was awarded two caps for the English team.
Arthur Rotherham was an English rugby union scrum-half who was a member of the first official British Isles tour and was later capped for the England team.
Denys Douglas Dobson was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Oxford University and Newton Abbot. Dobson played international rugby for England and the British Isles team on its 1904 tour of Australia. Dobson was the first player from a British touring rugby team to be dismissed from the playing field, when he was sent off in a match against the Northern District in Newcastle, New South Wales.
Alexander Boswell Timms was an Australian-born international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Edinburgh Wanderers and Edinburgh University. Timms played international rugby for Scotland and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
Frank Moxon Stout MC also referred to as Frank Moxham Stout, was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Gloucester and Richmond. Stout played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles on two tours in 1899 and 1903. On the 1899 tour of Australia, he acted as on field captain for three of the Tests.
Alfred "Alf" Moore Bucher was a Scottish international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Edinburgh Academicals. Bucher played international rugby for Scotland and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
Charles Young Adamson was an English international rugby union utility back who played club rugby for Durham. Adamson played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia. Adamson was also a gentleman cricketer, playing mainly for Durham City. After the 1899 rugby tour, he remained in Brisbane playing for the Valley District Cricket Club and turned out for a single cricket match for Queensland, as well as playing in Durham's first Minor Counties Championship match in 1895. He played for Durham until 1914.
Alan Ayre-Smith was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Guy's Hospital. Ayre-Smith played international rugby for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
Gerald "Gerry" Percy Doran also known as Blucher Doran, was an Irish international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Lansdowne. Doran played international rugby for Ireland and in 1899 he was selected for the British Isles team on its tour of Australia. Doran's older brother Eddie and younger brother, Bertie, also played international rugby for Ireland.
John Wallace Jarman was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Bristol. Jarman played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia.
Guy Vincent Evers was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Moseley. Evers played international rugby for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia
Elliot Tenbosch Nicholson was an English international rugby union wing who played club rugby for Birkenhead Park. Nicholson played international rugby for England and was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia.
George Ralph Gibson was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Northern. Gibson played international rugby for England and was selected to represent the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia. He was described by Matthew Mullineux, the British Isles captain, as a "capital worker".
Alexander Findlater Todd was an English rugby union forward who played for Cambridge University and Blackheath F.C. at club level, and Kent at county level. Todd played international rugby for England and later represented the British Isles team on their 1896 tour of South Africa.
Charles Edward Thompson was an English international rugby union fullback who played club rugby for Manchester and county rugby for Lancashire. Thompson was selected for the British Isles team on its 1899 tour of Australia, but despite representing Great Britain, never played international rugby for England.
John Stanley Francomb (1873–1915) was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Manchester and Sale. Francomb played international rugby for the British Isles on their 1899 tour of Australia.
William Thomas Charles Cave was an English international rugby union forward who played club rugby for Cambridge and Blackheath. Cave played international rugby for both the British Isles and England, and was also selected for invitational team the Barbarians.
Maurice Edward Neale was an English rugby union international who played on a single occasion for his country and was part of the first official British Isles team that toured South Africa in 1910, finishing top try scorer of the series.