Clement Pearson Simpson OBE (13 June 1868 – 19 September 1948) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

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 ...

forward who was a member of the British Isles XV that toured South Africa in 1891.

Personal history

Simpson was born in 1868 to John Simpson of Claverton Street,

Pimlico Pimlico () is an area of Central London in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by London V ...

in London. He was educated at

Wellington College, Berkshire Wellington College is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) in the village of Crowthorne, Berkshire, England. Wellington is a registered charity and currently educates roughly 1,200 pupils, between the ages of 13 and ...

, before gaining entry to

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...

in 1887. He received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1891, and in 1896 was admitted as a solicitor. He practiced in London from 1900.

Rugby career

Simpson first came to note as a rugby player when he was chosen to represent

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

; and earned a single sporting 'Blue' as part of the Cambridge team in

The Varsity Match The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford University RFC, Oxford and Cambridge University R.U.F.C., Cambridge in England. The event began in 1872 with the first men's match, with interruptions ...

of 1890. The same year he completed his university education, Simpson was invited, along with several other Cambridge players, to join

Bill Maclagan William Edward Maclagan (5 April 1858 – 10 October 1926) was a Scottish international rugby union forward who played club rugby for London Scottish F.C. Maclagan was one of the longest-serving international rugby players during the early dev ...

's British Isles team on a tour of

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Simpson played ten matches over the tour, but was only selected for one Test match.Clememt Simpson player profile
Lionsrugby.com Simpson's one and only international cap was the First Test against South Africa, which was played at

Port Elizabeth Gqeberha (), formerly Port Elizabeth and colloquially often referred to as P.E., is a major seaport and the most populous city in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is the seat of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, Sou ...

, the tourists winning 4–0. On his return from South Africa, Simpson joined Richmond Rugby Club, and in 1893 was selected to play for invitational touring team, the Barbarians.Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 230.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Clement Pearson 1868 births 1948 deaths Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge Barbarian F.C. players British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players English rugby union players Officers of the Order of the British Empire People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire Rugby union forwards Rugby union players from London