Jeff Butterfield
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Butterfield was an England
, British and Irish Lions
, Northampton
and Barbarians
Rugby
player and businessman.
Butterfield married Barbara Kirton in 1956 and they had one son. Butterfield was educated at Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School, Cleckheaton
. After school Butterfield attended Loughborough College
where he took a B.Sc. in Physical Education in 1951 and he later took up a teaching post at Wellingborough Grammar School in Northamptonshire. After Wellingborough, Butterfield became a science master at Worksop College
and began his senior rugby career with Northampton Saints. He played for Northampton 227 times.
As well as playing for Northampton
and England, Butterfield is celebrated for his play on the British Lions
' tour of South Africa in 1955 where he scored tries in three of the four matches. He later toured with the Lions in New Zealand in 1959 but here he was plagued by an injury and was unable to play in any of the matches.
Butterfield was influenced as a player by the Bradford Northern Rugby League club whom he used to watch as a child. He used to watch the pre-war international outside half, Willie Davies
. Of him, Butterfield said, "Willie always carried the ball in front of him with both hands. Though he always continued to run straight when he passed. I modelled my technique on his."
In addition to his duties at Northampton he also played 54 times for Yorkshire and captained them in two County Championship finals, in 1953 and 1957.
He was capped by England in 1953 against France; here he played with a fellow Northampton player Lew Cannell. Butterfield played for England for 6 years, including 28 successive matches – in his final season he was captain. Butterfield became England's most capped back, and on his watch, England won:
, London, which he and his wife, Barbara, ran for 25 years.. Butterfield and his family also enjoyed skiing. His later years were dogged by ill health.
Butterfield was President of Milton Keynes
Rugby Club from 1972 until his death in 2004 and also had a unique role in developing rugby union in the Cayman Islands
.
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...
, British and Irish 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...
, Northampton
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and 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...
Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
player and businessman.
Butterfield married Barbara Kirton in 1956 and they had one son. Butterfield was educated at Whitcliffe Mount Grammar School, Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton
Cleckheaton is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England, situated south of Bradford, east of Brighouse, west of Batley and south-west of Leeds...
. After school Butterfield attended Loughborough College
Loughborough University
Loughborough University is a research based campus university located in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, in the East Midlands of England...
where he took a B.Sc. in Physical Education in 1951 and he later took up a teaching post at Wellingborough Grammar School in Northamptonshire. After Wellingborough, Butterfield became a science master at Worksop College
Worksop College
Worksop College is a co-educational day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 13 to 18 in England. Worksop is split into eight houses - Talbot, Mason, Portland, Pelham and Shirley for boys and Gibbs, Derry and School House for girls.- Origins :...
and began his senior rugby career with Northampton Saints. He played for Northampton 227 times.
His rugby playing
Butterfield is considered to have been one of the most gifted centres to have played Rugby for England. One of the most memorable features of Butterfield's game was his near-perfect timing of a pass.As well as playing for Northampton
Northampton Saints
Northampton Saints are a professional rugby union club from Northampton, England. The Northampton Saints were formed in 1880. They play in green, black and gold colours. They play their home games at Franklin's Gardens, which has a capacity of 13,591....
and England, Butterfield is celebrated for his play on 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...
' tour of South Africa in 1955 where he scored tries in three of the four matches. He later toured with the Lions in New Zealand in 1959 but here he was plagued by an injury and was unable to play in any of the matches.
Butterfield was influenced as a player by the Bradford Northern Rugby League club whom he used to watch as a child. He used to watch the pre-war international outside half, Willie Davies
Willie Davies
Willie Davies was a Welsh international dual-code rugby fly half who played rugby union for Swansea and rugby league for Bradford Northern. He won six caps for the Wales rugby union team and nine caps for the Wales rugby league side...
. Of him, Butterfield said, "Willie always carried the ball in front of him with both hands. Though he always continued to run straight when he passed. I modelled my technique on his."
In addition to his duties at Northampton he also played 54 times for Yorkshire and captained them in two County Championship finals, in 1953 and 1957.
He was capped by England in 1953 against France; here he played with a fellow Northampton player Lew Cannell. Butterfield played for England for 6 years, including 28 successive matches – in his final season he was captain. Butterfield became England's most capped back, and on his watch, England won:
- the Five Nations' Championship four times,
- two Triple Crowns and
- a Grand Slam.
In retirement
After retiring from full time rugby, Butterfield briefly worked the paint industry and later opened the Rugby Club in Hallam StreetHallam Street
Hallam Street is in the Parish of St Marylebone in London’s West End. In administrative terms it lies within the City of Westminster's Marylebone High Street Ward as well as the Harley Street Conservation Area...
, London, which he and his wife, Barbara, ran for 25 years.. Butterfield and his family also enjoyed skiing. His later years were dogged by ill health.
Butterfield was President of Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...
Rugby Club from 1972 until his death in 2004 and also had a unique role in developing rugby union in the Cayman Islands
Rugby union in the Cayman Islands
Rugby union in the Cayman Islands is a growing sport. It is ranked 62nd in the world, with 2,256 registered players.-Governing body:The governing body is Cayman Rugby, which is a member of the International Rugby Board, and the North American and Caribbean Rugby Association NACRA.-History:Although...
.