Don Rutherford
Immaculate full back; master tactician; British & Irish Lion
By John Theyers
Donald Rutherford OBE was born in Tynemouth on 22 September 1937. During his early career he played for St Luke's College, RAF, Combined Services, Percy Park and Northumberland. However he is most closely associated with Gloucester and Gloucestershire for whom he played from 1964 to 1968.
He won fourteen caps for England and toured Australia and New Zealand with the 1966 British Lions. He appeared for the Barbarians on a number of occasions between 1960 and 1968.
Don Rutherford trained as a physical education teacher at St Luke's College, Exeter. He did his National Service in the RAF. He played for the RAF and Combined Services and, while still in the RAF he had his first England trial in 1958, playing for the Whites against the Colours (scrum half for the Colours in that trial was Micky Booth).
He had already joined Percy Park RFC and played for the club until 1963. During that time he won his first four caps for England in the 1960 Five Nations tournament and appeared against South Africa at Twickenham in January 1961. He played for North East Counties against the All Blacks in January 1964.
At the end of the 1963-64 season Don Rutherford joined Gloucester. He made his debut for Gloucestershire in November 1964 and was selected for the first of the 1965 Home Internationals.
He was an ever-present for England in the Five Nations in 1964-65 and 1965-66 and was then selected to tour Australia and New Zealand with the British Lions. He played in the first of the two Internationals against Australia but on the New Zealand leg of the tour he broke his arm playing against Manuwatu and had to be flown home. He played once more for England against New Zealand in 1967.
Don Rutherford had a very successful season for Gloucester and Gloucestershire in 1967-68. He captained the club, playing with remarkable consistency and scoring over 300 points. Then disaster struck when he broke his arm again playing for the Barbarians against Newport in April 1968 and he was advised to retire from the game.
While with Gloucester, Don Rutherford introduced a coaching creed that was continued in the successful years that followed under the captaincy of Dick Smith.
Don Rutherford became Technical Director of the Rugby Union in September 1969 - their first-ever professional appointment. He returned to Kingsholm in October 1973, having assembled an international team of glittering talent to play Gloucester in their centenary game.
He was awarded the OBE in 2000 in recognition of his services to Rugby.