David Marques
Encyclopedia
Reginald William David Marques (9 December 1932 – 29 September 2010) was an English
rugby union
international lock forward. At club level he represented Cambridge University
, the Army and most notably Harlequin F.C.
. He played international rugby with England
and in 1959 he was selected to tour New Zealand and Australia with the British Lions
.
where he played in the rugby first XV alongside Colin Cowdrey
. Marques completed his national service with the Royal Engineers
before matriculating to Cambridge University. After retiring from rugby he joined the family firm making street lights.
In 1964 Marques was a member of the 1964 America's Cup
challenger team, aboard the Sovereign. He was also a magistrate, a governor for Haileybury College and a church warden for 23 years. He was married with three children.
. He later played for the Army, but it was his eleven years spent with Harlequins that he was best known. In 1956 he was selected to play for invitational tourists the Barbarians
, playing against the 1958 Australians and then travelled with the Barbarians on their tours to Canada and South Africa. 1956 was also the year in which Marques was first selected to play for the England national team, facing Wales as part of the 1956 Five Nations Championship
.
Marques played a total of 23 matches for England, including two touring parties, the 1958 Australians and the 1961 South Africans. During the 1957 Five Nations Championship
and 1958 Five Nations Championship
Marques became a member of two Grand Slam
winning teams. As a forward player, Marques was never in the position to be a prolific scorer, but he scored his one and only international try in the 1960
encounter with Ireland. In 1959 he was chosen to tour Australia and New Zealand
with the British Lions. He played in 18 matches of the tour, including two Tests, the Second Test against Australia and Second Test versus New Zealand.
Marques made an impression on the British Lions tour from the moment he arrived. When he stepped off the plane on its arrival at Australia, he was dressed as a stereotypical British gent in white shirt, military tie, dark suit, bowler hat and rolled umbrella. Another event of the tour that showed Marques's personality was when he was kicked in the face during an off-the-ball incident by Albie Pryor. Instead of retaliating, he got to his feet and shook his aggressor’s hand; when he was asked by fellow Lion, Bill Mulcahy, why he hadn't punched Pryor, Marques replied, "You wouldn’t understand, Bill. I wanted him to feel a cad."
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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 lock forward. At club level he represented Cambridge University
Cambridge University R.U.F.C.
The Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club, or CURUFC, is the rugby union club of Cambridge University, and plays Oxford University in the annual Varsity Match at Twickenham stadium every December. CURUFC players wear light blue and white hooped jerseys with a red lion crest...
, the Army and most notably Harlequin F.C.
Harlequin F.C.
The Harlequin Football Club is an English rugby union team who play in the top level of English rugby, the Aviva Premiership. Their ground in London is Twickenham Stoop...
. He played international rugby with 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...
and in 1959 he was selected to tour New Zealand and Australia with 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...
.
Personal history
Marques was born in Ware, Hertfordshire in 1932, and was educated at Yardley Court School and later at Tonbridge SchoolTonbridge School
Tonbridge School is a British boys' independent school for both boarding and day pupils in Tonbridge, Kent, founded in 1553 by Sir Andrew Judd . It is a member of the Eton Group, and has close links with the Worshipful Company of Skinners, one of the oldest London livery companies...
where he played in the rugby first XV alongside Colin Cowdrey
Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE , better known as Colin Cowdrey, was the Captain of Oxford University, Kent County Cricket Club and the England cricket team in a career that lasted from 1950 to 1976...
. Marques completed his national service with the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
before matriculating to Cambridge University. After retiring from rugby he joined the family firm making street lights.
In 1964 Marques was a member of the 1964 America's Cup
America's Cup
The America’s Cup is a trophy awarded to the winner of the America's Cup match races between two yachts. One yacht, known as the defender, represents the yacht club that currently holds the America's Cup and the second yacht, known as the challenger, represents the yacht club that is challenging...
challenger team, aboard the Sovereign. He was also a magistrate, a governor for Haileybury College and a church warden for 23 years. He was married with three children.
Playing career
Marques came to note as a rugby player when he represented Cambridge University, playing in four Varsity MatchesThe Varsity Match
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. In 2007, it was held on a Thursday for...
. He later played for the Army, but it was his eleven years spent with Harlequins that he was best known. In 1956 he was selected to play for invitational tourists the Barbarians
Barbarian F.C.
The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain...
, playing against the 1958 Australians and then travelled with the Barbarians on their tours to Canada and South Africa. 1956 was also the year in which Marques was first selected to play for the England national team, facing Wales as part of the 1956 Five Nations Championship
1956 Five Nations Championship
The 1956 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-seventh series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-second series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
.
Marques played a total of 23 matches for England, including two touring parties, the 1958 Australians and the 1961 South Africans. During the 1957 Five Nations Championship
1957 Five Nations Championship
The 1956 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
and 1958 Five Nations Championship
1958 Five Nations Championship
The 1958 Five Nations Championship was the twenty-ninth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
Marques became a member of two Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
winning teams. As a forward player, Marques was never in the position to be a prolific scorer, but he scored his one and only international try in the 1960
1960 Five Nations Championship
The 1960 Five Nations Championship was the thirty-first series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the sixty-sixth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between...
encounter with Ireland. In 1959 he was chosen to tour Australia and New Zealand
1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand
In 1959 the British Lions rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand. The Lions won the two test matches against but lost the international series against the All Blacks by three matches to one. They also played two matches in Canada, on the return leg of the journey.Although New Zealand...
with the British Lions. He played in 18 matches of the tour, including two Tests, the Second Test against Australia and Second Test versus New Zealand.
Marques made an impression on the British Lions tour from the moment he arrived. When he stepped off the plane on its arrival at Australia, he was dressed as a stereotypical British gent in white shirt, military tie, dark suit, bowler hat and rolled umbrella. Another event of the tour that showed Marques's personality was when he was kicked in the face during an off-the-ball incident by Albie Pryor. Instead of retaliating, he got to his feet and shook his aggressor’s hand; when he was asked by fellow Lion, Bill Mulcahy, why he hadn't punched Pryor, Marques replied, "You wouldn’t understand, Bill. I wanted him to feel a cad."