Friday 12th August saw a fitting send off dinner for the retiring, but certainly not shy, East Midlands Rugby Union Chairman, Bob Taylor, in the Barwell Stand at Northampton Saints. The venue was certainly fitting given that he played 313 times for the club, scoring 77 tries in the process, was Club President in 1993, and has been inducted into the Saints Hall of Fame.
In terms of representative rugby, after a two year dabble playing county rugby for Hampshire while studying in Winchester, he went on to play for the East Midlands and the Barbarians. In addition he represented England on 17 occasions, and became British Lion number 469 playing in all four test matches in the 1968 tour to South Africa.
Off the field he has been an administrative colossus, serving as East Midlands representative on the RFU Council, and then as RFU President in the World Cup year of 2007. Prior to that he took up the position of East Midlands Rugby Union Chairman in 1998 and has held the position, plus numerous committee roles, since.
A much better commentary on his life inside and out of rugby can be found here Bob Taylor (Flanker) (northamptonsaints.co.uk)
Thank you for all that you have done for rugby at both the elite and grass roots levels Bob, and we suspect that we will still be seeing you on touchlines across the East Midlands for some years to come.
