Brian Whitcombe (13 October 1934 – 2 January 2021) was a

Rugby Union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its m ...

footballer for Bradford RFC in the 1950s and 1960s, playing at Flanker i.e. 6 or 7.

Early life

Born at 15 Sussex Street Grangetown, Cardiff, Brian Whitcombe and his brother

Frank Whitcombe Jr Frank William Whitcombe (21 July 1936 – ) was a rugby union footballer of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s who played Rugby Union (RU) for Bradford RFC, Keighley RUFC Northern Command and Army Rugby Union, playing at Prop, i.e. number 1 or 3, and r ...

were part of a famous rugby playing family. Brian moved north aged one when his father

Frank Whitcombe Frank William Whitcombe (29 May 1913 – 17 January 1958), also known by the nickname of "The Big Man", was a Welsh rugby union, and professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1930s and 1940s. He played rugby union (RU) for Cardiff ...

, a rugby player with the

Army Rugby Union 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" Partr ...

team, turned professional for

Broughton Rangers Broughton Rangers were one of the twenty-one rugby clubs which met at the George Hotel, Huddersfield, in 1895 to form the Northern Rugby Football Union. They were originally based in Broughton, Salford, but in 1933 moved to Gorton, Manchester t ...

Rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...

team in September 1935. Here the family settled in

Withington Withington is a suburb of Manchester, England. Historically part of Lancashire, it lies from Manchester city centre, about south of Fallowfield, north-east of Didsbury and east of Chorlton-cum-Hardy. Withington has a population of just ...

a suburb of Manchester. In Withington Brian's younger brother

Frank Frank or Franks may refer to: People * Frank (given name) * Frank (surname) * Franks (surname) * Franks, a medieval Germanic people * Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang Curre ...

was born on 21 July 1936. Later in December 1938 the family moved across the

Pennines The Pennines (), also known as the Pennine Chain or Pennine Hills, are a range of uplands running between three regions of Northern England: North West England on the west, North East England and Yorkshire and the Humber on the east. Commo ...

when Frank Whitcombe Senior was signed by Bradford Northern for a world record fee. After moving to

Bradford Bradford is a city and the administrative centre of the City of Bradford district in West Yorkshire, England. The city is in the Pennines' eastern foothills on the banks of the Bradford Beck. Bradford had a population of 349,561 at the 2011 ...

the family lived at 109 Wibsey Park Avenue close to the

Odsal Stadium Odsal Stadium in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, is the home of Bradford Bulls Rugby League team. It has also been used by the Bradford Dukes speedway team, BRISCA F1 and F2 stock cars, the football team Bradford City, following the Valley ...

home of Bradford Northern. Brian attended Buttershaw St. Pauls Primary School and later Wibsey secondary modern school. At age 14 he began his rugby career in 1949 with Sedbergh Boys' Club playing junior

. The club was based near to his home in

Wibsey Wibsey (population 14,530 – 2001 UK census) is a ward within the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, West Yorkshire, England. The population had increased to 14,671 at the 2011 Census. Wibsey is named after Wibsey village which ma ...

near to

, before switching to play

at Bradford RFC. His first job was as a Machine tool fitter at Dean, Smith & Grace and later a three-year

printers Printer may refer to: Technology * Printer (publishing), a person or a company * Printer (computing), a hardware device * Optical printer for motion picture films People * Nariman Printer ( fl. c. 1940), Indian journalist and activist * Jame ...

apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners ...

at Briggs Brothers

Silsden Silsden is a town and civil parish in the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, on the River Aire and Leeds and Liverpool Canal between Keighley and Skipton, which had a population of 8,268 at the 2011 Census. The parish includes the haml ...

National Service rugby

Whitcombe was called up for

National Service National service is the system of voluntary government service, usually military service. Conscription is mandatory national service. The term ''national service'' comes from the United Kingdom's National Service (Armed Forces) Act 1939. The l ...

in January 1953. Brian served in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

for two years, posted to

Bulford Barracks Bulford Camp is a military camp on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England. Established in 1897, the site continues in use as a large British Army base. The camp is close to the village of Bulford and is about northeast of the town of Amesbury. ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

. During his service he represented 45 Field Regiment and The Royal Artillery Rugby club, 'The Gunners', as did fellow Bradford RFC team mate Peter Harrison.

Rugby career Bradford RFC

Bradford Rugby Football Club was one of the leading club sides in the country at the time. Brian Whitcombe joined Bradford in 1952 making 174 appearances and his brother Frank Whitcombe 329 appearances. Brian put in a man of the match performance in Bradford's 9–3 victory at Lidget Grean over

Leicester Tigers Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its hom ...

in 1962, scoring the only try of the game. During the late 1950s and early 1960s Brian Whitcombe was a regular trialist for the Yorkshire county side. When his first class rugby career was over Brian joined

Keighley RUFC Keighley Rugby Union Football Club is a Rugby Union club based in Keighley, West Yorkshire, England. The club currently play in Yorkshire 1. Club history Keighley R.U.F.C. (or the Keighlians Old Boys R.U.F.C. as it was originally named) was ...

and played out his career with his brother Frank.

Life after rugby

Following retirement Brian became a

Lay preacher Lay preacher is a preacher or a religious proclaimer who is not a formally ordained cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presidi ...

on the Airdale

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related Christian denomination, denominations of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John W ...

circuit. He died on 2 January 2021.

References

*The Whitcombe family archive *Bradford RFC Rugby Centenary book 1866 - 1966 *http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/community/obituaries/frank_whitcombe_1_2304460 {{DEFAULTSORT:Whitcombe, Brian 1934 births 2021 deaths Bradford RFC players People from Grangetown, Cardiff Royal Artillery soldiers Rugby union flankers Rugby union players from Cardiff Welsh rugby union players