Harry Alexander (rugby union)
{{short description|English rugby union footballer}}
{{About|the rugby union player||Harry Alexander (disambiguation){{!}}Harry Alexander}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2013}}
{{Infobox rugby biography | name = Harry Alexander
| image =
| birth_name = Harry Alexander
| nickname =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1879|01|06|df=y}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Birkenhead, Merseyside, England}}
| death_date = {{dda|1915|10|17|1879|01|06|df=y}}
| death_place = Hulluch, France
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| occupation =
| ru_position = Forward
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| repyears1 = 1900–1902
| repteam1 = {{nrut|England}}
| repcaps1 = 7
| reppoints1 = 7
| module = ----{{infobox military person
|embed=yes
|allegiance = {{UK}}
|branch = {{Army|UK}}
|serviceyears = 1915
|rank = 2/Lt
|unit = 1 Bn Grenadier Guards
|commands =
|battles = World War I
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Harry Alexander (6 January 1879 – 17 October 1915) was a rugby union international who represented {{nrut|England}} from 1900 to 1902, and was captain for one match, against {{nrut|Wales}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.espnscrum.com/england/rugby/player/1418.html|title=Harry Alexander|work=ESPN scrum}}
Alexander was born in Cheshire, and after attending Uppingham School, went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he earned two blues in rugby. While playing for Birkenhead Park after graduating from Oxford, he was selected in 1900 to play for England and earned seven caps over the course of three seasons. In 1902, he authored a book on rugby, How to Play Rugby Football. The Theory and Practice of the Game. Later, he played for Richmond and was captain in his final season, 1905 to 1906.
He was commissioned second lieutenant into the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards in July 1915, and was sent to the Western Front in October, where he participated in the Battle of Loos, and was killed in action, along with some 400 soldiers of his battalion.
Early life and family
Harry Alexander was born on 6 January 1879 in Oxton, Cheshire, the son of a cotton broker. He went to school at Uppingham from 1891 to 1897, then studied at Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1897. At Oxford, Alexander read classics, English law, French language and literature, and political theory and institutions, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1900. He was secretary of the athletics club in 1899 and captained the cricket XI in 1900, having earned blues in rugby in 1897 and 1898.{{Cite web |url=https://www.ccc.ox.ac.uk/data/uploads/rollofhonour/Roll%20of%20Honour%20biographies%20WW1%20for%20website.pdf |title=Roll of Honour World War I: Biographies – Corpus Christi College, Oxford |access-date=16 October 2015 |archive-date=5 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305143812/https://www.ccc.ox.ac.uk/data/uploads/rollofhonour/Roll%20of%20Honour%20biographies%20WW1%20for%20website.pdf |url-status=dead }}
On graduating from Oxford, he was appointed assistant master at Stanmore Prep School but then left to become a professional singer.
Alexander had a brother and two sisters. He married Louise Risby in 1913 and together they had a daughter, Jean born in 1914.{{sfn|Hagger|2014}}
Rugby union career
After leaving Oxford, Alexander played for Birkenhead Park.{{sfn|Hagger|2014}} Following the North versus South trials, he made his international debut for {{nrut|England}} on 3 February 1900 at Athletic Ground, Richmond in the England vs {{nrut|Ireland}} match. Of the 7 matches he played for his national side he was on the winning side on 2 occasions. He captained England in his penultimate international game, against {{nrut|Wales}} in 1902, losing by one point.{{sfn|Hagger|2014}} He played his final match for England on 8 February 1902 at Welford Road, Leicester in the England vs Ireland match. In his final year playing for England, Alexander published a work on rugby entitled How to Play Rugby Football. The Theory and Practice of the Game.{{sfn|Alexander|1902}}
Alexander then played for Richmond, and was the team's captain for the 1905–06 season,{{Cite web | url=http://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/club/hero-s-and-heroine-s | title=Heroes and Heroines – Richmond Football Club | access-date=16 October 2015 | archive-date=22 April 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170422153109/http://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/club/hero-s-and-heroine-s | url-status=dead }} during which Richmond played the touring Original All Blacks, on 11 November 1905.{{Cite web |url=http://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/club/our-history |title=Our History – Richmond Football Club |access-date=16 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151028072131/http://richmondfc.co.uk/index.php/club/our-history |archive-date=28 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}
=International appearances=
Military service
Alexander was commissioned second lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, the Grenadier Guards on 23 July 1915. He was sent to the Western Front in October and was killed after only 13 days of service.{{sfn|McCrery|2014|p=22}} His battalion took part in an assault on Hohenzollern Redoubt towards the end of the Battle of Loos, suffering 400 casualties in the span of three hours. Alexander was killed by a shell during this action.{{sfn|Hagger|2014}} He is buried at the Arras Road Cemetery in the Pas de Calais, France.{{sfn|Hagger|2014}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book|last1=Alexander|first1=Harry|title=How to Play Rugby Football: The Theory and Practice of the Game|date=1902|publisher=John Hawthorn|location=Uppingham|oclc=557384598}}
- {{cite book |last=Hagger |first=Mike |title=Lest We Forget |url=http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/General/General/01/30/53/77/EnglandRugbyInternationalsWhoDiedinWWI_Neutral.pdf |date=2014 |publisher=World Rugby Museum |location=Twickenham |others= |access-date=16 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160127014131/http://www.englandrugby.com/mm/Document/General/General/01/30/53/77/EnglandRugbyInternationalsWhoDiedinWWI_Neutral.pdf |archive-date=27 January 2016 |url-status=dead }}
- {{cite book|last1=McCrery|first1=Nigel|title=Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed in the Great War|date=2014|publisher=Pen and Sword|isbn=978-1473833210}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{s-bef|before=William Bunting}}
{{s-ttl|title=English National Rugby Union Captain|years= Jan 1902}}
{{s-aft|after=John Daniell}}
{{s-end}}
{{English national rugby union team captains}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alexander, Harry}}
Category:Alumni of Corpus Christi College, Oxford
Category:Birkenhead Park FC players
Category:British Army personnel of World War I
Category:British military personnel killed in World War I
Category:England international rugby union players
Category:English rugby union players
Category:Grenadier Guards officers
Category:Middlesex County RFU players
Category:People educated at Uppingham School
Category:Rugby union players from Birkenhead