Alexander Obolensky
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Prince Alexander Sergeevich "Obo" Obolensky (Russian: Александр Сергеевич Оболенский), (February 17, 1916 — 29 March 1940) was a Russian prince and an international rugby union footballer who played for England. He was popularly known as just "The Prince" by many sports fans.
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[edit] Biography
He was born in Petrograd, (as Saint Petersburg was then known), on 17 February 1916 and was the son of Prince Serge Obolensky, an officer in the Czar's Imperial Horse Guards, and his wife Princess Luba. Their name derived from the Russian town of Obolensk. They fled Russia after the Russian Revolution of 1917, settling in Muswell Hill, London.
Obolensky was educated at The Ashe boys' preparatory school, Etwall, and Trent College, Long Eaton, both in Derbyshire, before going to Brasenose College Oxford University in Michelmas 1934, where he held a College Exhibition and studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics. He gained a Fourth Class degree in 1938. At Oxford he gained two blues for playing rugby at wing three-quarter. He played for Leicester Tigers between 1934 and 1939, as well as Rosslyn Park. His selection for England caused a stir because he was not a British citizen, but he gained British Citizenship in 1936.
On 4 January 1936 he scored two tries on his England debut in a 13-0 victory over the All Blacks, the first time England had beaten New Zealand. Aided by Pathé News footage of the game, his name has entered into legend, since the first try, beating several All Blacks in a run of three-quarters of the length of the field, was widely regarded as the greatest try of the time, and one of the greatest tries ever scored by England.[1]
Prince Obolensky only won a further three caps for England later that year (against Wales on 18 January, Ireland on 8 February and Scotland on 21 March), and scored no further tries.
On the outbreak of the Second World War in 1939, Obolensky joined the Royal Air Force's 54 Squadron. On 29 March 1940 he was killed during training when his Hawker Hurricane Mark 1 crashed on Martlesham Heath, Suffolk. His aircraft, reference number L1946 dropped into a ravine at the end of the runway during landing after a flight, breaking his neck. He was 24. He is buried in Ipswich's war cemetery. In February 2008 the town launched a project to erect a permanent memorial, details of which can be found at www.obolensky-ipswich.org.uk.
Later he would be compared to another Royal Air Force fighter pilot and wing three-quarter back for Leicester and England, Rory Underwood.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Commonwealth War Graves database entry
- Photographs at Findagrave.com
- Montage of England rugby tries at youtube.com. Obelensky's two tries are the first featured.
- Photograh of Obolensky aged about 13 at his preparatory school, and article about its discovery.
[edit] References
- ^ Green Umbrella Productions: 101 Greatest English Tries. DVD, Release Date: 8 Nov 2004.
