RFU pays tribute to Charles ‘Peter’ Garfield Woodruff
The Rugby Football Union has paid tribute to the oldest surviving England player who has died aged 99.
Charles ‘Peter’ Garfield Woodruff, known to team mates as Charlie but to family as Peter, has died aged 99. He was the last England international to have served in WW2.
The talented wing was expected at a recent Harlequins Players’ Association lunch at the RAC, London, but collapsed and died at Leicester station.
Said RFU President Peter Wheeler: “Peter Woodruff was a true man of rugby and still very much involved as both a Harlequins and England past player. He will be greatly missed by the game and our thoughts are with his children, grandchildren and his whole family.”
Immediate RFU Past President and fellow Harlequins player, Chris Kelly, added: “As our oldest living international, he was an extraordinary character and was a guest at the South African game at Twickenham last year. A Barbarian, he was at the recent memorial service for Micky Steele-Bodger, and was on top form. He really was a delightful man.”
Born in Newport, Peter could have played for Wales but made his Test debut for England in the 1951 Five Nations when he played in his debut against Wales at Swansea. The last of his four caps was v Scotland at Twickenham in March that year when England won by two points.
Having celebrated his 99th birthday on October 30th, he was the last England international to have served in the Second World War, flying Dakotas for Transport Command and even dropping paratroopers over France as part of D-Day. During the war, he married Eileen and they had three daughters and a son.
Demobbed as a Flight Lieutenant, Peter joined the Civil Service. Initially playing for Cheltenham, he joined Harlequins at the insistence of Peter Brook, the former Harlequin and England forward, making his first appearance against Cardiff in February 1950 and going on to represent them over the next 14 seasons.
Peter also made appearances for the Civil Service, Kent, Gloucestershire, Western Counties, London Counties and the Barbarians. Having played his last match with Quins at the age of 42, he eventually hung up his boots at the age of 56 playing for Stroud 4th XV under the captaincy of his son, Peter.
