ANDY RIPLEY 1947-2010, SUPERSTAR

When I was at school, the England Number 8 Andy Ripley was one of my heroes. He was a cavalier among roundheads, a tall, long-legged, long-haired flash harry who played in the forwards but ran like a back. In truth, the England rugby team were pretty rubbish at the time, finishing bottom of the Five Nations year after year, even scoring fewest points in the 5-way tie in 1973. But, weirdly, they beat South Africa in Johannesburg in Jun 1972, New Zealand in Auckland in September 1973, and Australia at Twickenham in November 1973. He travelled with the Lions on their 1974 tour of South Africa but was kept out of the Test team by the great Mervyn Davies.

After his international rugby career ended in 1976 he became a hero all over again by winning the BBC’s Superstars competition in 1980, surely the tallest and heaviest man ever to do so.

Why am I posting about him here? Well I heard an interview he did a couple of years ago about his prostate cancer, the disease that has now killed him. He spoke matter-of-factly about the symptoms that he had ignored, too busy to get a checkup in his early 50s. Early diagnosis is very likely to mean you die with the disease, rather than from it. By the time he did go to the doctor, it was too late for him. I remember him saying that if just one man took action because of his testimony, his own life would have been worthwhile. So I wanted to mark his passing.

http://prostate-cancer.org.uk/