Frederic Hodgson Rudd Alderson (27 June 1867 – 18 February 1925) was an English international
rugby union threequarter who played club rugby for
Cambridge University and
Hartlepool Rovers. Alderson played international rugby for
England and was an original member of invitational team, the
Barbarians.
Personal life
Alderson was born in Hartford in 1867 and educated in Durham, graduating to
Clare College, Cambridge in 1886.
He received his BA in 1889 and that year took up the post of Assistant Master of Henry Smith School in
Hartlepool
Hartlepool () is a seaside and port town in County Durham, England. It is the largest settlement and administrative centre of the Borough of Hartlepool. With an estimated population of 90,123, it is the second-largest settlement in County ...
. He became headmaster of the school in 1892, a position he would hold until his death in 1925.
Rugby career
Alderson first came to note as a rugby player when he represented the Cambridge University team, winning a sporting Blue when he represented the team in the Varsity matches of 1887 and 1888. His Cambridge links served him well when
William Percy Carpmael
William Percy Carpmael (20 May 1864 – 27 December 1936) was the founder and first president of the rugby union Barbarian Football Club. Carpmael was born the eldest of eight in Briscobel, Streatham in England.Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 13 ...
, a fellow Cambridge Blue, invited Alderson to join his newly formed invitational touring team, the Barbarians.
[Starmer-Smith, Nigel ''The Barbarians'' Macdonald & Jane's Publishers (1977) pg. 217 ] In 1890 he became one of the original members of the Barbarians, and was part of the team that in 1891/92 toured the South West of England and Wales.
When Alderson moved to Hartlepool he joined local team Hartlepool Rovers, and it was while representing Rovers, that he was selected for his first international game for England; an encounter with
Wales in the opening match of the
1891 Home Nations Championship
The 1891 Home Nations Championship was the ninth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 3 January and 7 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1891 Championship was ...
. Alderson was given the captaincy on his debut game, an honour he would hold for all but the last of the six matches of his international career. He served his team well, leading them to a solid 7–3 victory over the Welsh away at
Rodney Parade, and picked up his first international points when he converted two of the three
tries scored by England. For the remainder of the Championship Alderson led England to a victory over
Ireland, but a home loss to
Scotland, the eventual
Triple Crown winners of 1891.
The
1892 Championship saw England win all three matches making Alderson a Triple Crown captain, as he led the team for the opening game against Wales and the Championship decider away to Scotland. Alderson missed the Irish leg, the captaincy switching to
Sammy Woods, but scored a try and a conversion against Wales and a conversion in the Scotland game. This was the third Triple Crown for England, and the first time a team had finished the season without conceding a single point. Alderson played one more international game, the opener of the
1893 Home Nations Championship
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In winning all three match ...
, a narrow loss at the
Cardiff Arms Park to Wales.
After retiring from playing rugby, Alderson continued his involvement with the sport when he became a referee. In 1903 he officiated his only international match, the
1893 Home Nations clash between Scotland and Ireland.
Bibliography
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alderson, Frederic
1867 births
1925 deaths
Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge
Barbarian F.C. players
Cambridge University R.U.F.C. players
England international rugby union players
English rugby union players
English rugby union referees
People from Hartford, Cheshire
Rugby union players from Cheshire
Schoolteachers from County Durham
Rugby union three-quarters