John Ernest Highton (1935 2008) was a Royal Navy Commander, Antarctic explorer, and rugby union player. He was Deputy Leader of the 1976-77 Joint Services Expedition to the Elephant Island Group and was in charge of the group on

Clarence Island (South Shetland Islands) Clarence Island (russian: остров Шишкова) is the easternmost island in the South Shetland Islands, off the coast of Antarctica. It is claimed by Argentina as part of Argentine Antarctica, by Britain as part of the British Antarctic ...

. The

UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee The UK Antarctic Place-Names Committee (or UK-APC) is a United Kingdom government committee, part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, responsible for recommending names of geographical locations within the British Antarctic Territory (BAT) and ...

named

Highton Glacier Highton Glacier () is a glacier on the east coast of Clarence Island in the South Shetland Islands, south of Sugarloaf Island, flowing northeast to the sea. Called "Stamina Glacier" from the stamina needed to cross it by the Joint Services Expe ...

on Clarence Island after him in 1980. Highton played rugby for Devonport Services R.F.C. and

Barbarian F.C. The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip. Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, p ...

, and was part of the

England national rugby union team The England national rugby union team represents England 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 occasion ...

in forward position during the

1963 England rugby union tour of Australasia The 1963 England rugby union tour of Australasia was the first overseas tour by the England national rugby union team. Scotland, Ireland and France had preceded England in embarking on short tours to the Southern Hemisphere, and the RFU can ...

. He was captain of the HMS Victorious rugby team whilst serving on the vessel from 1963 to 1964.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Highton, John E. English rugby union players Explorers of Antarctica 1935 births 2008 deaths