Peter Harrison was an English

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 it ...

footballer who played in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s who played

(RU) for Bradford RFC, as a

prop A prop, formally known as (theatrical) property, is an object used on stage or screen by actors during a performance or screen production. In practical terms, a prop is considered to be anything movable or portable on a stage or a set, distinc ...

, i.e. number 1 or 3.

Early life

Peter Harrison was born at Coal House Nursing Home in

Odsal Odsal is an area of the City of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. Odsal Stadium is the home of Bradford rugby league club. The Richard Dunn Sports Centre is named after the boxer who lived in Bradford at the time of his 1976 bout against Muh ...

, Bradford on 27 July 1935 - 12 May 2011. Peter attended Horton Bank Primary School and after passing his

11-plus The eleven-plus (11+) is a standardized examination administered to some students in England and Northern Ireland in their last year of primary education, which governs admission to grammar schools and other secondary schools which use academi ...

went to Grange Boys Grammar School. He gained the Queen's Scout Award. In 1958 after leaving school at 16 he took a job in the

Wool Trade Wool is the textile fibre obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have properties similar to animal wool. As ...

as a

Yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manu ...

salesman Sales are activities related to selling or the number of goods sold in a given targeted time period. The delivery of a service for a cost is also considered a sale. The seller, or the provider of the goods or services, completes a sale in r ...

with James H Woods, before being 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 ...

. He went on to be a member of the Bradford Junior Chamber of Commerce and in later life set up his own fuel companies Holmfield and Brent Petroleum. During his early life he became great friends and wrestling partner with Tony Orford the son of the wrestling legend Sandy Orford.

National Service

Harrison was called up for Military Service, and joined 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 ...

where he did his two-year service. Here he represented The Royal Artillery Rugby club, 'The Gunner's', as did fellow Bradford RFC teammate Brian Whitcombe.

Rugby career Bradford RFC

Peter joined Bradford RFC one of the leading sides in the country at the time, initially as a back row forward. Through sheer hard work he learned to play tight head prop, and went on to establish himself in the team as part of a legendary front row of Frank Whitcombe Jr (329 appearances), Peter Crowther (414) and Peter Harrison (184). The trio played together for twelve years. Their most memorable triumph was winning the Yorkshire Cup final against

Harrogate Harrogate ( ) is a spa town and the administrative centre of the Borough of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Historically in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa w ...

at Cross Green,

Otley Otley is a market town and civil parish at a bridging point on the River Wharfe, in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, the population was 13,668 at the 20 ...

in 1966 under the captaincy of Mike Dixon.

Baildon Mini Rugby Club

In 1975 Peter teamed up with Fred Anderson who had played rugby for Leeds Rugby League in the sixties, and they started the Under 6's at

Baildon Baildon is a town and civil parish in the Bradford Metropolitan Borough in West Yorkshire, England and within the historic boundaries of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies north of Bradford city centre. The town forms a continuous urban ...

Rugby Club, coaching the same team for over six years as the lads grew older. Many of the lads who first played together in 1975 as kids would play together at senior level for many years.

First Overseas Rugby Tour to Zimbabwe by Woodhouse Grove

Peter was passionate about giving his son, and the school his son attended the fun he had had in rugby. With his pal Tim Adams they set about raising £35,000 to send the school on its first tour in 1987 to

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and ...

. The pinnacle of the fund raising was a Sportmen's Dinner where

Max Boyce Maxwell Boyce, (born 27 September 1943) is a Welsh comedian, singer and entertainer. He rose to fame in the mid-1970s with an act that combined musical comedy with his passion for rugby union and his origins in a South Wales mining community ...

and a galaxy of English and Welsh International rugby players attended from both codes. After the success of

Woodhouse Grove School Woodhouse Grove School ('The Grove') is an independent, co-educational, day and boarding public school and Sixth Form. it is located to the north of Apperley Bridge, West Yorkshire, England (Apperley Bridge is located in the City of Bradfor ...

has toured many rugby playing countries around the world.

Fundraiser at Bradford and Bingley RFC

Once retired from playing rugby at Bradford RFC Peter applied his fundraising skills at the newly formed Bradford and Bingley RFC. As Head of Marketing and Fundraising he managed to raise thousands of pounds for the Club with high-profile sponsorships such as JCT600. He loved raising funds so much that in later life he discovered another great love of his life - Volunteering Bradford.

Fundraiser for Volunteering Bradford

Volunteering Bradford set Peter's imagination alight as he saw it as such a worthwhile charity as it gave young people the opportunity to work in all types of industries, thus giving them a passion to make a difference.

References

Former Bees president Harrison dies aged 75
*Bradford RFC Rugby Centenary Book 1866 - 1966 {{DEFAULTSORT:Harrison, Peter 1934 births 2011 deaths Bradford RFC players Royal Artillery soldiers Rugby union players from Bradford Rugby union props