Ralph Andrew Knibbs is an English former

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

player who played for

Bristol Bristol () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, the most populous city in the region. Built around the River Avon, Bristol, River Avon, it is bordered by t ...

Rugby career

He made his debut as a seventeen-year-old against

Pontypridd RFC Pontypridd Rugby Football Club () is a rugby union team from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. It competes in the Admiral Premiership and the WRU Premiership Cup, a trophy which they won for the 7th time in 2025. Their last league title ...

in 1982, scoring with his first touch of the ball."Where are they now? Bristol Rugby's glorious 1983 John Player Cup final winning side"
11 July 2015, The Bristol Post Knibbs had a repertoire of running angles and scored many individual tries in his Bristol career which lasted until 1996. He played in the 1983 cup final as an eighteen-year-old, and represented Gloucestershire in all their games in the 1982/83 championship-winning campaign. He was also an accomplished basketball player, athlete and American football player before his rugby career. He played for the South West Division, England under-23s, and the England Sevens. He turned down the chance to go on the 1984 England rugby union tour of South Africa, because of his opposition to apartheid. He also declared himself unavailable for 1988 England rugby union tour of Australia and Fiji, due to work commitments, making him one of the only players ever to turn down

England national rugby union team The England national rugby union team represents the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in international rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France national rugby union team, France, Ireland national rugby union team, ...

twice. Despite this, Knibbs made 436 appearances for

, scoring 123 tries, and was vice-captain during the centenary season. He later captained

Clifton Rugby Football Club Clifton Rugby Football Club is an England, English rugby union club founded in Clifton, Bristol. Over the years the club's home games have been played in a variety of locations in northern Bristol, though never in Clifton itself; since 1976 they ...

where he ended his career. On 18 February 2007 Knibbs was also named in ''The Sunday Times'' top 10 centres of time along with names such as

Brian O'Driscoll Brian Gerard O'Driscoll (born 21 January 1979) is an Irish former professional rugby union player. He played at outside Centre (rugby union), centre for the Irish provincial team Leinster Rugby, Leinster and for Ireland national rugby union te ...

and Simon Halliday by Bath rival

Jeremy Guscott Jeremy Clayton Guscott (born 7 July 1965) is an English former rugby union player who played for Bath, England and the British Lions. Usually an outside centre, he also appeared for England on the wing. On 17 November 2016, Guscott was induc ...

who described Knibbs as being "silky and absolutely superb" and whom admitted it was a "crying shame he never won an England cap".

2016 attempted murder

On 22 March 2016 Knibbs was a victim of attempted murder by transgender fell runner Lauren Jeska. She confronted him, following an argument regarding test samples. Knibbs was stabbed several times in the head and neck by Jeska in a "premeditated and savage attack" at Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham. This resulted in life-threatening injuries and Knibbs suffering a stroke. The attack occurred in the context of a planned review of Jeska's status as a female athlete because she was a transgender woman. Jeska admitted attempted murder and was jailed for 18 years. Knibbs sustained long-term nerve damage from the attack and the life-saving surgery he underwent afterwards. The stroke he suffered caused sight loss in both eyes and temporarily blinded him in one eye. He also has limited movement and difficulty eating owing to the severed nerves, and is disabled.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Knibbs, Ralph 1964 births Living people Bristol Bears players English disabled sportspeople English rugby union players English stabbing survivors Gloucestershire County RFU players Rugby union players from Bristol Rugby union centres 20th-century English sportsmen