Andy Ripley
Encyclopedia
Andrew George Ripley, OBE
(1 December 1947 – 17 June 2010) was an English
rugby union
international, who represented England
from 1972 to 1976, and the British Lions
on their unbeaten 1974 tour of South Africa
.
, and educated at the University of East Anglia
and the University of Cambridge
(MPhil).
club for his entire career.
He made his international debut on 15 January 1972 at Twickenham
in the England
vs Wales
match. Of the 24 matches he played for his national side, he was on the winning side on eight occasions.
Between June 1972 and November 1973 England
defeated the three major Southern Hemisphere countries, Ripley playing in all three games. On 3 June 1972 England
beat South Africa
18-9 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. On 15 September 1973 they defeated the All Blacks
16-10 at Eden Park, Auckland, and on 17 November the same year they beat Australia
20-3 at Twickenham, Ripley scoring a try.
He played his final match for England on 21 February 1976, at Murrayfield
, in the Scotland
vs England match.
He also played in a Presidents XV.
competitions between 1981 and 1983, winning his British Superstars heat and International Superstars in 1981. He also represented the UK in the 1981 World Championship and the 1982 International.
A tremendously strong runner, Ripley dominated the 800 metres contest, winning this race in the 1981 World final and in most Superstars events he entered. Tall and muscular, Ripley had enormous stamina and also performed well in the canoeing
or rowing
events; again he won this event in the World Final, setting a new record time in the process.
As was the case with other British Superstars of the era, Ripley could not attempt to win the events by picking up points in every event - he had to use the popular tactic of scoring as highly in his 'banker' events as possible, and holding on in the others. Unfortunately for Ripley his size proved to be a disadvantage in the gymnasium tests - he was too big to contemplate parallel bar dips or squat thrusts, and while he could lift prodigious amounts in the weightlifting, his heavy bodyweight meant that smaller athletes would always win using the coefficient system. He could also have used a little luck - a puncture right at the start of the 1981 British Final cycling race cost him eight valuable points, and any chance of the title. Instead it went to Keith Fielding
, his former England Rugby Sevens team-mate.
Undoubtedly Ripley's finest hour in Superstars came in Israel in the 1981 International, when he gained revenge on Fielding and won the prestigious title. He would defend his title a year later in Hong Kong, but could not defeat the best European Superstar of all-time, Brian Hooper
, finishing second. With the contest as much about camaraderie as athletic prowess for many of the competitors however, Ripley's outgoing, larger-than-life persona fitted in very well. His final appearance in Superstars came in the 1983 UK Past Masters event, were he again finished runner-up, this time to another former champion David Hemery
.
.
In 1998, he became an indoor rowing world record holder in the 50-54 yrs age-group on the 'Concept II' ergometer (2000m in 6:07.7).
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1 December 1947 – 17 June 2010) was an English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
international, who represented England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
from 1972 to 1976, and the British Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
on their unbeaten 1974 tour of South Africa
1974 British Lions tour to South Africa
In 1974 the British Lions toured South Africa, with matches in South West Africa and Rhodesia . The tour was a great success, the Lions winning 21 of their 22 matches and drawing the other. After winning the first three test matches, the Lions drew the final test to preserve their unbeaten record...
.
Early life
Ripley was born on 1 December 1947 in LiverpoolLiverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and educated at the University of East Anglia
University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia is a public research university based in Norwich, United Kingdom. It was established in 1963, and is a founder-member of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities.-History:...
and the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
(MPhil).
Rugby union
Ripley played for the Rosslyn ParkRosslyn Park F.C.
Rosslyn Park Football Club is a rugby union team. Founded in 1879, the club became the first club based in England to play rugby internationally when it faced Stade Francais in Paris on 18 April 1892. In 1912, the club played in Prague, Budapest and Vienna in the first rugby matches ever played in...
club for his entire career.
He made his international debut on 15 January 1972 at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
in the England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
vs Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
match. Of the 24 matches he played for his national side, he was on the winning side on eight occasions.
Between June 1972 and November 1973 England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
defeated the three major Southern Hemisphere countries, Ripley playing in all three games. On 3 June 1972 England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
beat South Africa
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
18-9 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg. On 15 September 1973 they defeated the All Blacks
All Blacks
The New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
16-10 at Eden Park, Auckland, and on 17 November the same year they beat Australia
Australia national rugby union team
The Australian national rugby union team is the representative side of Australia in rugby union. The national team is nicknamed the Wallabies and competes annually with New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri-Nations Series, in which they also contest the Bledisloe Cup with New Zealand and the...
20-3 at Twickenham, Ripley scoring a try.
He played his final match for England on 21 February 1976, at Murrayfield
Murrayfield Stadium
Murrayfield Stadium is a sports stadium located in the west end of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Its all-seater capacity was recently reduced from 67,800 to 67,130 to incorporate the largest permanent "big screen" in the country though it still remains the largest stadium in Scotland and one...
, in the Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
vs England match.
He also played in a Presidents XV.
Superstars
Andy Ripley took part in several SuperstarsSuperstars
Superstars is an all-around sports competition that pits elite athletes from different sports against one another in a series of athletic events resembling a decathlon....
competitions between 1981 and 1983, winning his British Superstars heat and International Superstars in 1981. He also represented the UK in the 1981 World Championship and the 1982 International.
A tremendously strong runner, Ripley dominated the 800 metres contest, winning this race in the 1981 World final and in most Superstars events he entered. Tall and muscular, Ripley had enormous stamina and also performed well in the canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
or rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
events; again he won this event in the World Final, setting a new record time in the process.
As was the case with other British Superstars of the era, Ripley could not attempt to win the events by picking up points in every event - he had to use the popular tactic of scoring as highly in his 'banker' events as possible, and holding on in the others. Unfortunately for Ripley his size proved to be a disadvantage in the gymnasium tests - he was too big to contemplate parallel bar dips or squat thrusts, and while he could lift prodigious amounts in the weightlifting, his heavy bodyweight meant that smaller athletes would always win using the coefficient system. He could also have used a little luck - a puncture right at the start of the 1981 British Final cycling race cost him eight valuable points, and any chance of the title. Instead it went to Keith Fielding
Keith Fielding
Keith John Fielding is an English former dual-code international rugby union and professional rugby league footballer of the 1960s, '70s and '80s who at representative level has played rugby union for England, and at club level for Moseley Rugby Football Club, playing at Wing, i.e...
, his former England Rugby Sevens team-mate.
Undoubtedly Ripley's finest hour in Superstars came in Israel in the 1981 International, when he gained revenge on Fielding and won the prestigious title. He would defend his title a year later in Hong Kong, but could not defeat the best European Superstar of all-time, Brian Hooper
Brian Hooper
Brian Roger Leslie Hooper in Sheerwater, Woking, Surrey is a former British Olympic pole vaulter, athletics coach and winner of the 1982 World Superstars Championship.-Athletics:...
, finishing second. With the contest as much about camaraderie as athletic prowess for many of the competitors however, Ripley's outgoing, larger-than-life persona fitted in very well. His final appearance in Superstars came in the 1983 UK Past Masters event, were he again finished runner-up, this time to another former champion David Hemery
David Hemery
David Peter Hemery, CBE, is a British former athlete, winner of the 400m hurdles at the 1968 Summer Olympics.He was born in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, but his father's work took the family to the United States, where he attended school and graduated from Boston University.Hemery's first...
.
Superstars record
| Year | Event | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | British Heat 2 | 1st |
| 1981 | British Final | 2nd |
| 1981 | International | 1st |
| 1981 | World Final | 3rd |
| 1982 | International | 2nd |
| 1983 | UK Past Masters | 2nd |
Honours
Ripley was awarded the OBE in the 2010 Birthday Honours2010 Birthday Honours
The Birthday Honours 2010 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 7 June 2010 in New Zealand and 12 June 2010 in United Kingdom to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2010.-Knights Bachelor:*Professor John Rex Beddington CMG, for science...
.
In 1998, he became an indoor rowing world record holder in the 50-54 yrs age-group on the 'Concept II' ergometer (2000m in 6:07.7).
External links
- Obituary - Andy Ripley Telegraph, 17 June 2010
- Former England rugby union star Andy Ripley dies BBC Sport, 17 June 2010