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Tom Baigrie talks us into supporting Rosslyn Park Rugby Club from time to time as quite of few of our longest standing clients originated there one way or another. Last night around 100 rugby folk gathered at the annual dinner of the Prince Obolensky Association (which we sponsor – see www.obolensky.org) to give rugby legend Jason Leonard an award. Do let us know if you’d like to come to next year’s do. Tom’s speech explains the story….
On the 28th of March 1940 the postman delivered a letter to 504 squadron the RAF, it was addressed to Trainee Pilot Officer Prince Alexander Sergeevich Obolensky and it confirmed his recall to the England squad to play Wales a fortnight later.
I bet you never knew that it was the habit of Hawker Hurricane pilots to open their hatch and unclip their safety harness when taxiing after landing, and it was that habit meant that the next day, when his Hurricane got its front wheel caught in a rabbit hole of all things, Alexander Sergeevich catapulted out of the plane, broke his neck and became the first of 14 English rugby internationals to be killed in WW2.
Even the New York Times carried the story the next day, under the headline: PRINCE OBOLENSKY, 24, KILLED IN AIR CRASH; British Flier Was Also an Outstanding Rugby Back. He was no ordinary casualty.
Now, our wee Association predates Chris Ashton’s wonder try against the Australians of a few years ago, but we relished the reprise his effort gave the wonderful old flickering footage of Obo’s mighty jink and bewildering pace. For The Prince’s was the try that triggered England’s first ever win against the All Blacks, who were if anything, an even more intimidating force than they are nowadays. And what’s more Pathé news captured it,
which was something of a fluke back then. The movie footage of “Flying Prince” helped his effort be deemed the greatest try of the time. In these parts at least.
But I’m delighted to say the Prince was no goodie goodie. His degree was fourth class, and when in 2006, Ipswich Council decided to erect a statue of him in the town centre, the Telegraph reported that “….generous donations were received from a number of titled ladies of a certain age keen to contribute.”
For, and I quote, “Prince Obolensky was rarely seen without a beautiful society debutante on his arm and would down a dozen oysters and sip champagne with them before a big game. He even had a pair of lightweight boots made to maximise his speed.” There’s ahead of your time flash hey!
Clearly our émigré Prince lived fast, and played faster. And he died young. It’s what heroes tend to do. Or used to. Our Association was of course created to honour its namesake, but the award was created last year and was inspired by the desire to honour another Rosslyn Park legend, this one remembered best as a 6’5” giant of the day, with flowing locks streaming out of a headband, knees pumping almost up his chest and opponents thinking several times before throwing themselves into the human threshing machine. Like the Prince, Andy died far too young, but he at least had time to make his mark several times over.
If I may simply quote his many obituaries: Andy won 24 caps for England playing a prominent part in then (as they would be now perhaps!) shock wins over South Africa and the All Blacks and scoring the winning try in England’s first victory against Wales at Twickenham since 1960. He was “rugby’s first hippie”, “the original Crazy Horse” and (the one I like best, for it’s how he seemed to me when I was a kid) “a man with a brain like Einstein and a pen like Shakespeare... who might have doubled for Steve McQueen!” As you mostly will know, Andy excelled not only at rugby, but also at rowing, athletics, swimming and sailing, he made a small fortune in the City and competing against a host of professionals, he won the then massive BBC Superstars contest in 1980. He was a superstar. He fought his battle against cancer as he played his sport taking it head on and attacking throughout, raising fortunes for the Prostate Cancer Charity throughout his last years.
So, just like the Prince, Andy was a one-off, a genuine shining carefree star. So after those two, the committee thought long and hard as to who should get the 2nd Obo and be our 3rd hero. You might have read the citation when you sat down (along with the glowing testimonial to our generous sponsors, ahem!)
I say our deliberations were long and hard; in fact they lasted for a few seconds until one of us said, “Jason Leonard?” and the rest said “of course”. The key reason for that is that Jason embodied as a player, the same freedom of spirit and genial contempt for a tour manager’s silly rules as did Andy, and, we suspect, The Prince.
His rugby glory is of course of a different scale to theirs. I’m not sure any forward will ever overtake his 114 England and 5 lions caps, his 4 grand slams and 4 world cup campaigns, and certainly no-one will ever again win his country a World Cup by telling a panicking South African ref, “It’s going to be OK Andre, I’m here now, the scrums will be just fine.” I’m sure I misquote slightly, but the penalties ceased and England were allowed at the last to play their game and win.
Like our other two heroes, The Fun Bus, as Martin Bayfield christened him, stood out from his peers as a man who refused to let professionalism and management take the freedom from his spirit, and who, even more perhaps than our other two, was good enough to get away with it. Today he’s a bit more like the rest of us really, but he fronts up wonderfully generously for the fine causes of Wooden Spoon and Sparks and is a truly rounded man and living legend, and what happened in the front row has stayed there - thank God!
Jason has told me that he is not here to listen to his story yet again, and in truth you all know it, or if not you should ask him on Sundays when he is a Park mini rugby dad, or better still, go and buy his autobiography!
So I’ll just end by telling you that Mindful that Park had recently drubbed Barking, and there was little reason he would remember my name and of his published fee rate for after dinner speaking, I wrote a careful e-mail asking him to accept this award noting that he’d not be asked to speak, just to accept the award and we’d send a car and, to tempt him to turn up, I asked him which charity he wanted to share in this evenings’ proceeds. His response was, by return, “Tom, don’t be silly, I’d be delighted, I’ll pay for my own ticket and taxi thanks mate. Do you want any auction items? Oh and, my chosen charity is Rosslyn Park. See you there!”
I fancy that’s exactly what Rips and Obo might have said too.
Ladies and Gentlemen it gives the Obolensky Association, in the person of our founder and President, Peter Smith, great pleasure to award the 2012 ‘Obo’ to Jason Leonard!
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Posted by @
03:38 PM, March 09
Tom - cracking speech. Sadly I wasn't there to hear the "live" performance. Could you ask Mrs Baigrie to buy you a nice smart navy blue blazer!! Christmas Lunch would be an ideal first outing for it. Happy Days JB
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