Hume worked miracles at Ampleforth
IT’S a funny thing but in the 850 odd years since Britain last produced a Pope – the St Albansborn Adrian IV in 1154 – only two British Cardinals have really been touted as contenders for the big job in Rome and both were avid rugby players and fans.
Readers of this column will be well acquainted with Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor whose brother, the former Ireland No.8 Jim, was the first recorded around-thecorner goal kicker in Test rugby. He landed a long range effort at Twickenham in 1954 when he made his solitary Ireland appearance.
Cormac was the star man for the strong multinational Vatican XV during his theological studies there and a rangy centre for Portsmouth – Will Greenwood without the pace or skill to use his own description – for a number of seasons before concentrating on his priestly duties. He was arriving late for too many Saturday night confessionals with cut eyes and bloody knees after his afternoon’s sport.The local bishop was not best pleased.
The other notable rugby playing papal candidate – in fact it was a surprise when he just missed out – was Cardinal Basil
Hume, right, the future
Archbishop of
Westmister, whose rugby prowess came to light again last week when I was looking into the considerable rugby heritage at Ampleforth College, a legacy for which he was at least partly responsible.
Hume, of Newcastle stock and a lifelong Newcastle United fan, was a hardcore sportsman and fitness fanatic. He was the best squash player and cross-country runner during his time as a student at Ampleforth but above all else their best rugby player.
A powerful lock or back row forward he was the star man in their 1940 First XV and captained the side the following year when the season was badly interrupted by severe weather and illness.
Later in his life – in 1950 – he returned to Ampleforth as a priest and head of Modern Languages. His most important role at this time, however, was probably as the First XV coach where he instigated a training regime that established Ampleforth as the fittest schools side in the country.
He became the Abbot of Ampleforth in 1963 and, having to relinquish rugby duties, it was soon after that he appointed England and Lions full-back John Wilcox as master in charge of rugby. After that they quickly became a major force to be reckoned
with nationally.