Fred Chapman (rugby union)
| Full name | Frederick Ernest Chapman | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 11 July 1887 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | South Shields, England | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 8 May 1938 (aged 50) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Hartlepool, England | ||||||||||||||||||||
| School | South Shields Boy's High School | ||||||||||||||||||||
| University | Durham University | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Notable relative(s) | Robert Chapman (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Surgeon | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Frederick Ernest Chapman (11 July 1887 – 8 May 1938) was an English international rugby union player.
Biography
[edit]Born in South Shields, Chapman attended South Shields Boy's High School and gained his medical degree from the Durham University College of Medicine. He was a brother of Conservative MP Sir Robert Chapman, 1st Baronet.[1]
Chapman was a three-quarter and fullback, known for his side-stepping abilities.[2] In 1908, Chapman went on tour with the Anglo-Welsh (British Lions) and appeared in 12 fixtures, including a Test against the All Blacks at Auckland. He worked at a hospital in Hartlepool, playing rugby for the Hartlepool Rovers, and represented Durham in 31 matches. His seven England caps are most noted for his opening-minute try against Wales in 1910, the first to be scored a Twickenham Stadium. He also contributed a conversion and penalty to help England to a 11–6 win.[3]
During World War I, Chapman was a surgeon in the Royal Navy and early in the conflict was posted to the hospital ship SS Rohilla. The SS Rohilla ran aground in October 1914, resulting in the loss of 83 passengers, but Chapman had by then been transferred to HMS Neptune. He joined the Royal Army Medical Corps as a lieutenant in May 1915 and served in Gallipoli. Promoted to captain, Chapman was attached to the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment on the Western Front, in a period that included the Battle of the Somme.[4][5]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Dr. F. E. Chapman". The Daily Telegraph. 9 May 1938.
- ^ "Death of F. E. Chapman". The Guardian. 9 May 1938.
- ^ "Scored Famous Try". Daily Herald. 9 May 1938.
- ^ "The members of one South Shields family who lost their lives in the First World War". The Shields Gazette. 27 November 2018.
- ^ "Surgeon, Soldier & First to Score at Twickenham". Rugby Football Union. 28 April 2020.
External links
[edit]- Fred Chapman at ESPNscrum
- 1887 births
- 1938 deaths
- English rugby union players
- England international rugby union players
- British & Irish Lions rugby union players from England
- Rugby union centres
- Rugby union wings
- Hartlepool Rovers players
- Durham County RFU players
- Alumni of Durham University College of Medicine
- Royal Navy personnel of World War I
- Royal Army Medical Corps officers
- British Army personnel of World War I
- Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment officers
- Rugby union players from South Shields