All in the genes for Lions star Pedlow

THE most versatile and colourful rugby player ever produced by CCB must surely be centre Cec Pedlow who won 30 Ireland caps and made two Test appearances for the Lions in South Africa in 1955.

While at the school Pedlow was also a standout hockey player and cricketer and the Irish U18 tennis champion which earned a place at Junior Wimbledon. In later life he concentrated on squash and was the perennial Irish Masters champion. Rather confusingly, he famously suffered from poor eyesight and played all his sports, save for rugby, wearing glasses.

It was nonetheless as a rugby player that he made his main impact, starring for three years at centre in the First XV playing in two losing Ulster Cup Finals in 1950 and 1951. The highpoint of his rugby endeavours probably came on that Lions tour when, as well as finishing as the top points scorer in all matches, he was on hand to complete what Cliff Morgan considered to be one of the best tries he ever witnessed in that First Test which was famously played in front of 90,000 fans.

A member of a remarkable sporting family, Cec has three brothers who all attended CCB and all three also appeared in Ulster Cup finals. There was Peter, who was also a multi titled Irish swimming champion, Ken who quickly became a scratch golfer and Des who went on to play scrum-half for Ulster and narrowly missed out on an Ireland cap.

Sport was in the genes. Grandfather Robert played half-back for Ireland while great uncle James Cecil Parke, was one of Ireland’s greatest sporting all-rounders. The lightning quick Parke won 20 caps between 1903 and 1907, captaining the side twice, and took time out to represent Ireland at golf in 1906.

It was as a tennis player though that he shone brightest, winning an Olympic silver medal in the men’s doubles in 1908 and then in his annus mirabilis – 1912 – he took the Australian singles title and men’s doubles title and guided Great Britain to victory in the Davis Cup although he always wore an item of clothing with a four leaf clover on it.

He won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 1913 and after serving at Gallipoli and the Western Front still played well enough on his return in 1920 to be ranked number four in the world.