Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools
GIGGLESWICK might not hog the headlines nationally when it comes to school’s rugby but they have a proud tradition and superb facilities which enable them to regularly punch above their weight.
They also tend to play a distinctive brand of open rugby, possibly the result of their First XV pitch – known universally as Lord’s – boasting possibly the best playing surface in Yorkshire where it has been known to rain occasionally in the winter.
Alex Rieder at Wasps would be their most recent product of note, Nottingham and England B centre Gary Hartley was another along with Sale’s Lancashire stalwart lock Richard Trickey, but it was back in the early decades of rugby at the school when they really made a splash and spawned more than their share of England internationals.
John King takes pride of place, a mainstay of the England team between 1911 and 1913 when he won 12 caps. King is normally listed as a No.8 although there are reports of him packing down at hooker and second row. All this despite being one of England’s shortest ever forwards at 5ft 5ins, although to compensate he could boast a 46 inch chest.
King is also one of a number of Giggleswick rugby alumini who went on to great things despite not reaching the heights as a schoolboy player. At Giggleswick he won Second XV colours but no more. He died, killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in 1916.
That late blooming tradition had been established by John Green, another who won only Second XV colours during his time at the school between 1895-1897. Green bulked up and subsequently won seven England senior caps at prop between 1905-7, captaining the team against Ireland and playing in a famous 3-3 draw against South Africa at Crystal Palace in 1906.
In the 1920s Duncan Cumming was a commanding figure in the First XV for four years and a Triple Blue at Cambridge before playing for England in 1925 against Scotland. A considerable Test career seemed likely but he then disappeared to Africa to serve for much of his life with the Sudan Political Service, roaming the deserts administering justice.
Lewis ‘Lu’ Booth – a member of the First XV in 1925-26 – went on to win seven England caps in the mid-30s and scoring three tries. Alas he was killed in action in a bombing raid over Germany in 1942. Another Giggleswick legend – in fact the greatest of them all – who was to perish in the war was Robert ‘Mike’ Marshall, whose daring deeds are chronicled elsewhere on this page.
After World War 2 Joe Maycock, who played for the First XV between 1927 and 1931, won five caps at lock including two as captain. Remarkably he was first capped in 1947, 14 years after appearing in a final England trial as a lanky 19-year-old. Later in the 1940s Edward Horsfall was capped at flanker for England, yet another one of those who failed to make the First XV at Giggleswick but emerged with a love of the game that served him well.
Soon after the war fly-half Jim Bowden captained the school in two of the three seasons he played in the First XV and then caused a minor sensation by signing for Huddersfield RL while still technically a schoolboy. Bowden’s sole intent was to finance a degree course in dental surgery at Leeds University.
Bowden was class. He played for Huddersfield when they defeated St Helens in the 1953 Challenge Cup at Wembley, toured Australia and New Zealand with Great Britain in 1954 and then, at the age of 25, gave it all up to fulfil his ambition of becoming a dental surgeon. Another who went to League, more recently, was England U18 wing Taylor Prell who signed for Warrington from school before playing for Keighley.
As with all schools the last year or so has been a tremendous challenge but director of sport Dan Cook – once of England Schools and Rotherham – is remaining positive.
“Our take up on touch rugby was excellent and there are skills involved in touch – looking for space and off-loading – which are improving consider- ably. I can see us playing more touch in training when we get back to normal. Like everybody we have got used to online training sessions, using the technology, during lockdown – fitness sessions and skills.
“We have also introduced an extra time celebrity spot with a well known rugby personality to talk to the lads online. One that particularly struck home was Jacob Umaga who is doing great things for Wasps and hopefully England in the near future. Jacob isn’t that much older than our team and it impressed them greatly that a guy on the verge of the England team, in lockdown, used to go out into his back garden every day, put a couple of big duvets over the washing line and practice kicking the ball into them. Whatever it takes.
“Everybody has stayed motivated. We are blessed with great facilities but we have small pupil numbers. It’s rare we can field a Second XV at any age group, so results can be up and down a little on a tough northern circuit. What we do have though is a terrific U16 year group, eager to test themselves at senior level next season. Let’s hope they get that opportunity.”
