Phil Horrocks-Taylor

Phil Horrocks-Taylor

Birth name	John Philip Horrocks-Taylor
Date of birth	(1934-10-27)27 October 1934
Place of birth	Halifax, England
Date of death	11 February 2021(2021-02-11) (aged 86)
Place of death	Middlesbrough, England
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Weight	86 kg (13 st 8 lb)
Occupation(s)	Engineer
Rugby union career
Position(s) Fly Half Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 1956–1957 Cambridge University () 1958–1963 Leicester Tigers 92 () 1963–1969 Middlesbrough () International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1955–1966 Yorkshire 57 1958–1964 England 9 (3) 1959 Lions 1 (0)

John Philip Horrocks-Taylor (27 October 1934 – 11 February 2021) was a rugby union fly half who played for Leicester Tigers between 1958 and 1963; he represented England 9 times between 1958 and 1964 and was selected for the 1959 British Lions tour to Australia and New Zealand where he played in the third test. He was a Cambridge University blue in Rugby for 1956 and 1957.

Career

Horrocks-Taylor came up to St John's College, Cambridge in 1955 after playing in his native Yorkshire for Halifax and completing his national service at Catterick.

Horrocks-Taylor joined Leicester in 1958, making his debut on 27 September against Harlequins at Twickenham, Horrocks-Taylor was described as a "brilliant half-back, who is the most talked young player about in rugger circles".

Horrocks-Taylor left Leicester in September 1963 after receiving a job offer in Middlesbrough that was "too good to turn down", and joined the local club, in the 1964 Five Nations Championship he played his final two matches for England and became the first current Middlesbrough RUFC player to represent England.

He also played for Wasps and Halifax.