Robert Irving (rugby league)

For other people of the same name, see Robert Irving.
Robert Irving
Personal information
Full name Robert A. Irving
Nickname Bob
Born 15 February 1948(1948-02-15)
Huddersfield, England
Died 18 April 1999(1999-04-18) (aged 51)
Blackpool, England
Playing information
Position Second-row
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
1965–1973 Oldham 296 80 0 0 240
1973–1977 Wigan 142 37 0 0 111
1977–=1977 Salford
Barrow
Swinton
Total 438 117 0 0 351
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
Yorkshire
1975–1975 England 3 0 0 0 0
1967–1972 Great Britain 11 0 0 0 0
Source: rugbyleagueproject.org englandrl.co.uk

Robert "Bob" A. Irving (born 15 February 1948 in Castle Hill, Huddersfield — died 18 April 1999 in Blackpool) was an English professional Rugby League World Cup winning footballer of the 1960s and '70s. A Great Britain and England international, and Yorkshire representative Second-row, he played at club level for Oldham, Wigan, Salford, Barrow, Blackpool Borough, and Swinton during the era of contested scrums.

Irving was signed by Oldham from Huddersfield's amateur side St. Joseph's at 16 years of age and within weeks was playing in the first team.[1]

Contents

International honours

Irving won caps for England while at Wigan in the 1975 Rugby League World Cup against Wales, France, and Australia, and won caps for Great Britain while at Oldham in 1967 against France (2 matches), and Australia (3 matches), in 1970 against Australia (sub), and New Zealand, in 1971 against New Zealand, in 1972 against France (sub), and in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup against New Zealand, and Australia (sub).[2]

County Cup final appearances

Irving played in Wigan's 19-9 victory over Salford in the 1973–74 Lancashire Cup final.

Honoured at Oldham

Robert Irving is an Oldham Hall Of Fame Inductee.[3]

Outside of rugby league

Irving was a hotelier in Blackpool, and studied for a degree, becoming a senior lecturer in business studies at Blackpool and The Fylde College. He was active in the Catholic Church, and undertook charity work in his spare time, regularly manning a soup kitchen for homeless and displaced people. He died aged 51, in 1999, following a heart attack.[4]

Note

The "Tracking down the heroes of 1972" reference misstates his year of death as 2002, it was 1999.[4] The "Obituary: Bob Irving at independent.co.uk" reference misstates his month of birth as December, it was February.[5]

References

  1. ^ Hughes, Ed (31 October 2004). "Caught in Time: Great Britain prepare for 1972 rugby league World Cup final". The Sunday Times (UK: Times Newspapers Ltd). http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/article500970.ece. Retrieved 18 October 2010. 
  2. ^ "International Statistics at englandrl.co.uk". englandrl. 2008-12-31. http://www.englandrl.co.uk/international_stats.php?GBSearch=Irving&EnSearch=Irving&submit_x=7&submit_y=3&submit.x=7&submit.y=8. Retrieved 2009-01-01. 
  3. ^ "Oldham Hall of Fame". orl-heritagetrust.org.uk. 2008-12-31. http://www.orl-heritagetrust.org.uk/HTML%20docs/Hall%20of%20Fame.htm#irving. Retrieved 2009-01-01. 
  4. ^ a b "Tracking down the heroes of 1972". bbc. 2008-12-31. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/paulfletcher/2008/10/tracking_down_the_heroes_of_19.html#039551. Retrieved 2009-01-01. 
  5. ^ "Obituary: Bob Irving at independent.co.uk". independent.co.uk. 1999-04-27. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-bob-irving-1089884.html. Retrieved 2011-01-01. 

External links