Maurice Colclough


Maurice John Colclough was an international rugby union player. He was selected for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa and the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand, playing in all four internationals each tour. He was a member of the England team which won the Grand Slam in 1980. At the time he played club rugby for Angoulême and he also played for Wasps RFC and Swansea RFC.

Early life

Maurice Colclough was born on 2 September 1953 in Oxford. He attended the Duke of York's Royal Military School and was their 1st XV Rugby Captain in 1971. England Schools Senior Shot Put champion 1972. He is regarded as one of the most famous Alumni of the school. He later attended the University of Liverpool and also went on to play for Liverpool St Helens.

Rugby union career

Having played for Liverpool RFC he went on to become one of the first Englishmen to play in France, and ended up captaining Angoulême and he also later played for Wasps RFC and Swansea RFC. Colclough made his international debut on 4 March 1978 at Murrayfield in the Scotland vs England match. Of the 33 matches he played for England he was on the winning side on 17 occasions. He played his final match for England on 15 March 1986 at Parc des Princes in the France vs England match. He was a member of the England team which won the Grand Slam in 1980. He was selected for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa and the 1983 British Lions tour to New Zealand, playing in all four internationals each tour. In 1983 he scored a try for England against New Zealand at Twickenham.
He also played for a World XV on 9 August 1980 against in Buenos Aires, losing 36-22.

Later life

Colclough retired from rugby in 1986. In 2006 he lost a long battle against a brain tumor and died on 27 January 2006.