Barber Bertram

 

Player Bertram Barber

Bertram (Bill) C Barber  JP

President 1956-1958 and1964-1966

Chairman 1946-1950 and 1954-1956

Awarded Life Membership 1958

Position: Back/Forward

Born:

Height:

Weight:

Education:

Achievements:

Honours: Represented  North Midlands Counties XV, Somerset County XV, Combined Worcestershire and Herefordshire County XV

Debut game: 7th September 1929 v Leicester

Final game: 15th February 1936 v Gloucester

Number of Appearances: 115

Career details:

It would have taken a good deal of courage for any person to have asked Bill Barber how he occupied his leisure time. Apart from the club, which he served continuously from 1929 as a Player, Captain, Committee member, Chairman and on two occasions President, he also carried out great work for the Rotary Club of which he was President. He was also President of Somerset R.F.U. and Chairman of the Somerset Rugby Referees Society.

“Bill ’’reluctantly gave up his County Committee activities in 1963. He was head of a thriving Builder’s Merchants (Membury Bladwells) business in Bath, which of necessity entailed a full day’s work, and as a Justice of the Peace, where he took his turn on the bench every week.

He would be the first person to pay tribute to his charming wife, who supported him loyally throughout his public life, although this meant that she was deprived of his company almost every evening with the exception of Sundays.

Bill learnt to play rugby at Evesham School and became their regular Full Back. He joined Evesham R.F.C  on leaving school and played wing three-quarter and occasionally as  scrum half. He was capped for North Midlands County XV in 1927/28 and 1928/1929 and also played for the combined  Worcestershire and Herefordshire Counties XV. Having been capped for Somerset County  he had represented three County XV’s; probably a unique achievement. He joined Bath in 1929 as a forward and retained his place in the 1st XV until he hung up his boots in 1936. He was always in the thick of the game, a strong fast player, and a great tackler, who became a first class skipper.

When the “Waratahs” toured this country Bert played against them for a XV representing North Midlands and Yorkshire Counties