The funeral service for Chris Wardlow will be held in Carlisle on Friday.
It will be followed by a wake at Carlisle Rugby Club where Chris started his successful rugby career.
In 1969, he became only the second player to appear as a substitute when he came on at Twickenham for the injured full back Bob Hiller in the final minutes of the match which ended in an 11-8 victory against South Africa.
He played centre in all four Tests of the 1971 Five Nations and in that year’s centenary match against Scotland at Murrayfield.
Born in Carlisle, he played for Carlisle, Northampton and Coventry during his career and was actually selected for the 1971 Lions squad ahead of the tour to Australia and New Zealand. He suffered a fractured jaw playing for the Northern Counties against Coventry ruling him out of the tour.
He was also a member of the famous North West Counties side which beat the touring All Blacks at Workington in 1972.
He played a major part in the winning try when he palmed the ball on to winger Stuart Maxwell who scored in the corner to clinch the 16-14 win.
Chris, who was 81 when he died earlier this month, had fought a long battle against Alzheimer’s.
He was particularly held with affection at Coventry where he played 46 times in three years after joining the club from Northampton in 1972.
He was very much part of a golden era which culminated in Coventry winning the newly-launched RFU Cup competition in 1973
Winger Simon Maisey, who went on to play 252 Coventry games and score more than 100 tries has a special reason for remembering his former teammate.
He said: “Chris was in the centre when I made my debut and before the game as a nervous schoolboy in the changing room he put his arm around me and with a big smile said ‘Don’t worry I will look after you.’
“I scored five tries that day with every scoring pass coming from Chris – no-one even laid a hand on me because of the gaps he created.”
In addition to being a talented and skilful player, Wardlow – or as his teammates christened him Waddles – is remembered as being great company off the field where he was also rarely far from the action.
Maisey remembers: “As a party piece Chris used to eat the whole of a pork chop – bones and all – and also light bulbs.
“He would also take on anybody in an arm wrestle and I never saw him lose. Even Brian ‘the Butcher’ Hodder, an enormous tight head at Pontypool, who was a real-life butcher, couldn’t beat him.”
Certainly there are sure to be some famous tales retold in the Carlisle clubhouse at Warwick Road after Friday’s service, which will be at 12.20pm at Carlisle Crematorium.
