| Birth name | Herbert Toft | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 2 October 1909 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Salford, Greater Manchester | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 7 July 1987 (aged 77) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | (registered in) Chichester | ||||||||||||||||
| School | Manchester Grammar School | ||||||||||||||||
| University | Manchester University[1] | ||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | [Headmaster and Captain of England's Rugby Team] | ||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Herbert Toft (1909–1987), known as H. B. Toft, Henry Toft, or Bert Toft, was a rugby union international who represented England from 1936 to 1939.[2] He also captained his country.[2]
Hebert Toft was born on 2 October 1909 in Salford.[2] He attended Manchester Grammar School and then Manchester University,[1] returning to his school to become a teacher and later headmaster.[1] Born Herbert Toft, he was known by a number of variations on this. Although named Herbert, by the time he was at university he was known as Henry. One explanation of why he then became known as H B Toft was that when it became apparent that of the founders of the Manchester XXI Club he was the only one with one forename, they rechristened him Henry "Bloody" Toft.[3] However, he had also been known as Bert due to a foreshortening of his birth name. This was combined with his nickname Henry such that he became known as Henry Bert Toft, and thence H B Toft. So ubiquitous was the use of Henry Bert Toft as his name that some commentators on the sport cite Henry Bert as his forenames.[4]
Toft played for Sale Rugby Club and made his international debut on 21 March 1936 at Twickenham in the England vs Scotland match.[2] Of the 10 matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on 7 occasions.[2] He played his final match for England on 18 March 1939 at Murrayfield in the Scotland vs England match.[2] His rugby career was interrupted by World War II when he left to serve in the Royal Air Force.