Edgar Mobbs

Edgar Mobbs
Bust of Mobbs from the Northampton memorial
Full name Edgar Roberts Mobbs
Date of birth 29 June 1882
Place of birth Northampton, England
Date of death 31 July 1917 (aged 35)
Place of death Zillebeke
School Bedford Modern School
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position Wing
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
Northampton R.F.C.
Barbarian F.C.
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1909-1910 England 7 (12)

Edgar Roberts "Mobbsy" Mobbs DSO (1882–1917)[1] was an English rugby union footballer who played for and captained Northampton R.F.C. and England. He played as a three quarter.

He was educated at Bedford Modern School where the name of a house now commemorates him.

After initially being turned down as too old to join the army in World War I, Edgar raised his own "sportsman's" company of 250 sportsmen (also known as Mobbs' Own) for the Northamptonshire Regiment. He rose to command his battalion with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.[2]

Mobbs was killed in action, in July 1917, at Zillebeke during the Third Battle of Ypres, while attacking a machine gun post. His body has never been found, so his name is on the Menin Gate memorial.[3] He was honoured with the Distinguished Service Order.[4] Mobbs is also commemorated with a bust in Northampton.[2]

In 1921 the first Mobbs' Memorial Match was held between the East Midlands RFU and the Barbarians at Franklin's Gardens. In 2008 the Barbarians played Bedford Blues in the Mobbs Memorial Match at Goldington Road[5] and did so again in 2009. The final Mobbs Match to feature the Barbarians took place in April 2011 against Bedford. The fixture continues to be played with the Army Rugby Union facing Bedford and Northampton Saints in alternate years[6][7] and the game helps to raise money for youth rugby in the area.[2]

A band from Northampton have named themselves The Mobbs after Edgar Mobbs. Also a road in Northampton, Edgar Mobbs Way, is named after Mobbs and is situated close to Franklin's Gardens stadium.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Edgar Mobbs player profile Scrum.com
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Saints and the Army gather to honour fallen hero". telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
  3. ↑ CWGC Casualty Record.
  4. ↑ Greats of sport who were taken before their time on a World War One battlefield, The Telegraph, By Brendan Gallagher, Published: 7:40PM GMT 10 Nov 2008
  5. ↑ 81st Mobbs Memorial Match confirmed
  6. ↑ Richards, Huw (22 April 2011). "The end of an era". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  7. ↑ "Mobbs Memorial Match returns to Northampton". rfu.com. 2012-03-22.

External links