Percy Robert Diggle was an English sportsman who played rugby union at an international level, touring Argentina with the 1910 Combined British rugby union side, an early incarnation of the

British and Irish Lions The British & Irish Lions is a rugby union team selected from players eligible for the national teams of England national rugby union team, England, Ireland national rugby union team, Ireland, Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland, and ...

Early life

Percy Robert Diggle was born on 27 November 1887, the son of the Venerable Archdeacon, the Right Reverend John William Diggle, who would later become the

Bishop of Carlisle The Bishop of Carlisle is the Ordinary (officer), Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Carlisle in the Province of York. The diocese covers the county of Cumbria except for Alston Moor and the former Sedbergh Rural District. The Episcop ...

and his second wife Edith Moss, (the daughter of Gilbert Winter Moss and Eliza Seilliere Zwilchenbart whom he married on 23 April 1884). He attended

Marlborough College Marlborough College is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English private boarding school) for pupils aged 13 to 18 in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. It was founded as Marlborough School in 1843 by the Dean of Manchester, George ...

where he featured as captain of the School's second fifteen rugby squad, though he did not play in the first fifteen.Marlborough College, ''Marlborough College register from 1843 to 1904 inclusive'', Edition 5, (H. Hart, printer), 1905 He went on to

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

where he received his blue for rugby.

Rugby union

Diggle played rugby at school, though did not feature in the first choice fifteen. However, he did represent Oxford University. He went on to represent his home county of

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is an area of North West England which was historically a county. The county was bordered by Northumberland to the north-east, County Durham to the east, Westmorland to the south-east, Lancashire to the south, and the Scottish ...

and although he was never selected to play rugby for England, he was selected to tour with the Combined British on the 1910 tour to Argentina where he played in what Argentina count as their first test match.

Career and later life

In 1911 Diggle was listed as a member of the

Inner Temple The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as the Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court and is a professional association for barristers and judges. To be called to the Bar and practice as a barrister in England and Wa ...

and by 1938 listed his occupation as the director of a company. In 1923 he married Edwina Margery Stead who was 13 years his junior. The couple lived in Penrith. He died in 1977, his death being registered in

Kendal Kendal, once Kirkby in Kendal or Kirkby Kendal, is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Westmorland and Furness, England. It lies within the River Kent's dale, from which its name is derived, just outside the boundary of t ...

.General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration Indexes. London, England: General Register Office, Date of Registration: Jan-Feb-Mar 1977; Registration district: Kendal; Volume: 1; Page: 0563

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Diggle, Percy Robert 1887 births 1977 deaths English rugby union players Rugby union forwards British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England Alumni of the University of Oxford Oxford University RFC players Rugby union players from London 20th-century English sportsmen People educated at Marlborough College