Peter Yarranton
Encyclopedia
Sir Peter George Yarranton (30 September 1924 – 1 June 2003) was chairman of the United Kingdom Sports Council from 1989 to 1994, and a notable figure in the world of rugby union
, both as a player and as an administrator, for more than 40 years.
, and subsequently flew Mitchell and Liberator bombers in the Burma campaign. In the Air Force he captained the RAF swimming and water polo teams, and was introduced - at the age of 24 - to rugby. He developed into a powerful, mobile second row forward, capable of holding his own in the rough and tumble of the sport as well as of claiming the ball with prodigious leaps in the line-out. He formed a lifelong connection with the Wasps club, whom he captained for much of the late 1950s, and he also turned out for London, Middlesex and the RAF. In 1954 and 1955 he played for England against the other Home Nations, and against France and New Zealand. He kept fit well into his forties, when he became club secretary of Wasps, and in 1963 came out of retirement to play in a match for the Barbarians, the celebrated scratch side which he had also earlier captained.
sports and social club, based on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) near his home at Teddington. It was here that Yarranton began to put his business skills at the service of sport, and under his management the club became one of the largest sports and conference centres in Europe, even attracting international teams to its training facilities.
from 1991 to 1992. He had already served a game about which he was passionate in almost every capacity, from international player to club secretary, and had been public relations adviser to the RFU for a decade. Many fans were also familiar with his voice from his broadcasts for the BBC, or had relished his breezy observations over the tannoy in the Middlesex Sevens tournament at Twickenham
in the 1960s and 1970s. Behind the scenes he had also helped to set in motion the rebuilding of the national stadium, and it was fitting that Yarranton's term of office should coincide with England reaching the final of the Rugby World Cup
that year at rugby's headquarters.
government was steadily reducing its annual grant, while in the press criticism was being made of Britain's continued failings in international competitions, as well as of the Council's own unwieldy internal structure and its propensity for in-fighting. These problems Yarranton met in his customary cheerful fashion, although, through little fault of his own, he was unable to solve many of them. Though no visionary, he was not a stick-in-the-mud either, being a capable, articulate man, well versed in the ways of committees and practised in the art of keeping an open mind. While he was most at home encouraging athletes in the dressing room and on the big sporting occasions, he was not afraid to stand up to his political masters, criticising their lack of funding for sport in the inner cities and their policy of selling off playing fields. He was an early and enthusiastic advocate of a national lottery whose profits could be channelled into sport.
at the age of 70, Yarranton concentrated on his many other responsibilities. Among his numerous other positions, he was a governor of the London Marathon Trust; patron of the Royal Canoe Club Trust; chairman of the Sport Supports St John Ambulance Committee; and, in 2001, Master of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. He was also president of Surbiton Croquet Club. He was knighted in 1992.
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...
, both as a player and as an administrator, for more than 40 years.
Rugby playing career
Yarranton was educated at Holy Innocents School, Kingsbury, where he was head chorister and at Willesden Technical College. In 1942 he joined the Royal Air ForceRoyal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, and subsequently flew Mitchell and Liberator bombers in the Burma campaign. In the Air Force he captained the RAF swimming and water polo teams, and was introduced - at the age of 24 - to rugby. He developed into a powerful, mobile second row forward, capable of holding his own in the rough and tumble of the sport as well as of claiming the ball with prodigious leaps in the line-out. He formed a lifelong connection with the Wasps club, whom he captained for much of the late 1950s, and he also turned out for London, Middlesex and the RAF. In 1954 and 1955 he played for England against the other Home Nations, and against France and New Zealand. He kept fit well into his forties, when he became club secretary of Wasps, and in 1963 came out of retirement to play in a match for the Barbarians, the celebrated scratch side which he had also earlier captained.
Business career
Yarranton left the RAF in 1957 in the rank of flight lieutenant and joined Shell-Mex and BP Ltd as an operations trainee. He came to specialise in industrial relations and rose through the ranks in this field and from 1975 until 1977, was the manager of Shell UK Oil's plant and engineering Division. In 1978 he left this post to work for another arm of Shell, the LensburyLensbury
Lensbury is a wholly owned profit centre of the oil major Royal Dutch Shell located in Broom Road, Teddington in South West London...
sports and social club, based on 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) near his home at Teddington. It was here that Yarranton began to put his business skills at the service of sport, and under his management the club became one of the largest sports and conference centres in Europe, even attracting international teams to its training facilities.
Rugby Football Union
Yarranton was president of the Rugby Football UnionRugby Football Union
The Rugby Football Union was founded in 1871 as the governing body for the sport of rugby union, and performed as the international governing body prior to the formation of the International Rugby Board in 1886...
from 1991 to 1992. He had already served a game about which he was passionate in almost every capacity, from international player to club secretary, and had been public relations adviser to the RFU for a decade. Many fans were also familiar with his voice from his broadcasts for the BBC, or had relished his breezy observations over the tannoy in the Middlesex Sevens tournament 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 1960s and 1970s. Behind the scenes he had also helped to set in motion the rebuilding of the national stadium, and it was fitting that Yarranton's term of office should coincide with England reaching the final of the Rugby World Cup
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby union competition organised by the International Rugby Board and held every four years since 1987....
that year at rugby's headquarters.
Sports Council
Yarranton became chairman of the Sports Council, the quango charged with disbursing public money to sport, in 1989 - a difficult moment in its history. The ConservativeConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
government was steadily reducing its annual grant, while in the press criticism was being made of Britain's continued failings in international competitions, as well as of the Council's own unwieldy internal structure and its propensity for in-fighting. These problems Yarranton met in his customary cheerful fashion, although, through little fault of his own, he was unable to solve many of them. Though no visionary, he was not a stick-in-the-mud either, being a capable, articulate man, well versed in the ways of committees and practised in the art of keeping an open mind. While he was most at home encouraging athletes in the dressing room and on the big sporting occasions, he was not afraid to stand up to his political masters, criticising their lack of funding for sport in the inner cities and their policy of selling off playing fields. He was an early and enthusiastic advocate of a national lottery whose profits could be channelled into sport.
Retirement
Following his retirement from the Sports Council and from LensburyLensbury
Lensbury is a wholly owned profit centre of the oil major Royal Dutch Shell located in Broom Road, Teddington in South West London...
at the age of 70, Yarranton concentrated on his many other responsibilities. Among his numerous other positions, he was a governor of the London Marathon Trust; patron of the Royal Canoe Club Trust; chairman of the Sport Supports St John Ambulance Committee; and, in 2001, Master of the Worshipful Company of Gold and Silver Wyre Drawers. He was also president of Surbiton Croquet Club. He was knighted in 1992.