Phil Horrocks-Taylor
Birth nameJohn Philip Horrocks-Taylor
Date of birth(1934-10-27)27 October 1934
Place of birthHalifax, England
Date of death11 February 2021(2021-02-11) (aged 86)
Place of deathMiddlesbrough, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Weight86 kg (13 st 8 lb)
Occupation(s)Engineer
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly Half
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1956–1957 Cambridge University ()
1958–1963 Leicester Tigers 92 ()
1963–1969 Middlesbrough ()
International career
Years Team Apps (Points)
1955–1966 Yorkshire 57
1958–1964 England 9 (3)
1959 Lions 1 (0)

John Philip Horrocks-Taylor (27 October 1934 – 11 February 2021[2][3]) was a rugby union fly half who played for Leicester Tigers between 1958 and 1963; he represented England 9 times between 1958 and 1964 and was selected for the 1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand where he played in the third test. He was a Cambridge University blue in Rugby for 1956 and 1957.

Career

Horrocks-Taylor came up to St John's College, Cambridge in 1955 after playing in his native Yorkshire for Halifax and completing his national service at Catterick.[4]

Horrocks-Taylor joined Leicester in 1958, making his debut on 27 September against Harlequins at Twickenham, Horrocks-Taylor was described as a "brilliant half-back, who is the most talked young player about in rugger circles".[5]

Horrocks-Taylor left Leicester in September 1963 after receiving a job offer in Middlesbrough that was "too good to turn down",[6] and joined the local club, in the 1964 Five Nations Championship he played his final two matches for England and became the first current Middlesbrough RUFC player to represent England.

He also played for Wasps and Halifax.

References

  1. ^ "Phil Horrocks-Taylor". Lions Official. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  2. ^ "Phil Horrocks-Taylor". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  3. ^ "Obituary - Former fly-half Phil Horrocks-Taylor". Leicester Tigers. 11 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Tribute to Phil Horrocks-Taylor, who has died at the age of 86". CURUFC. 12 February 2021.
  5. ^ Terry McNeill (23 September 1958). "A big day for Tigers at Twickenham - Horrocks-Taylor is at fly half". Leicester Evening Mail. p. 12.
  6. ^ Terry McNeill (9 September 1963). "Horrocks-Taylor going north". Leicester Evening Mail. p. 8.
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