Freddie Brooks (sportsman)
Encyclopedia
Frederick George "Freddie" Brooks, OBE
(1 May 1883 – 5 September 1947) was a Rhodesia
n sportsman who represented his country as both a cricket
er and rugby union
player. He also played a Test match for the England national rugby union team
.
Brooks, although born in India
, was educated at Bedford School
in England
. As well as captaining their cricket team and playing rugby, Brooks was also outstanding in athletics, becoming Public Schools champion in the 100 yard sprint, 110 yard hurdles, long jump
and high jump
. From 1900 to 1902, he played cricket for Bedfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship.
At the age of 19, Brooks was offered a civil service
job in Rhodesia by William Henry Milton
, the Administrator of the British colony
. He had found out about the sporting abilities of Brooks by his two sons, rugby players Cecil and Jumbo
, who were also students at Bedford School.
After immigrating to Salisbury
, he impressed enough in his first season of club cricket that he earned the praise of former South African Test
captain and Rhodesian resident H. H. Castens
, who believed that Brooks "was good enough to play for South Africa". Brooks also won a Rhodesian tennis
title and became the national record holder in high jump.
He took part in Rhodesia's inaugural first-class
match, in 1905, against Transvaal in the Currie Cup cricket competition. Batting at three, Brooks top scored in the first innings with 61 of his team's 115 runs. In the second innings he opened the batting but made just one before being bowled by Richard Norden, who claimed 12 wickets for the match.
In 1906 he represented the Rhodesian rugby team
in South Africa's Currie Cup
as a wing three-quarter. He was considered unlucky to miss selection in the Springbok
team to tour England in 1906/07 as he didn't meet the five year residential qualification period, albeit by only a few months. Springbok vice-captain Paddy Carolin
had wanted Brooks in the team and told him to come with them to England, at which time he would sent a telegram to the Rugby Board seeking permission to call up Brooks as a replacement player.
While in England, Brooks again played rugby for Bedford and was selected in the South vs North fixture, which was used as a trial for spots in the national team. He scored four tries and despite coming to the country to play for the Springboks, Brooks was named in the England team for a Test against the South Africans.
The match, which was played at Crystal Palace, finished in a three all draw, with Brooks scoring England's only points though a second half try.
He got further opportunities to play for England, against both France
and England, but turned them down in order to get married back in Rhodesia.
When HDG Leveson-Gower's XI toured Rhodesia in the 1909/10 cricket season, Brooks was picked to make his second and final first-class appearance. After managing just 10 in his first innings, Brooks was again promoted from three to open the batting in the second innings and made 51.
His career in the civil service would see him made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, having served as Master of the High Court and Chairman of the Public Service.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(1 May 1883 – 5 September 1947) was a Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
n sportsman who represented his country as both a cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
er and rugby union
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
player. He also played a Test match for the England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
Brooks, although born in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, was educated at Bedford School
Bedford School
Bedford School is not to be confused with Bedford Modern School or Bedford High School or Old Bedford School in Bedford, TexasBedford School is an HMC independent school for boys located in the town of Bedford, England, United Kingdom...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As well as captaining their cricket team and playing rugby, Brooks was also outstanding in athletics, becoming Public Schools champion in the 100 yard sprint, 110 yard hurdles, long jump
Long jump
The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
and high jump
High jump
The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
. From 1900 to 1902, he played cricket for Bedfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship.
At the age of 19, Brooks was offered a civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
job in Rhodesia by William Henry Milton
William Henry Milton
Sir William Henry Milton was the 3rd Administrator of Mashonaland, played rugby for England and was South Africa's second cricket captain....
, the Administrator of the British colony
Administrator of Southern Rhodesia
The Administrator of Southern Rhodesia was a post within the British Empire which existed from 1890 to 1923 at the time when Southern Rhodesia was governed by the British South Africa Company...
. He had found out about the sporting abilities of Brooks by his two sons, rugby players Cecil and Jumbo
Jumbo Milton
John Griffith "Jumbo" Milton was an international rugby union player for England.Milton, who was born in South Africa, was the son of sportsman and politician William Henry Milton, originally an Englishman...
, who were also students at Bedford School.
After immigrating to Salisbury
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
, he impressed enough in his first season of club cricket that he earned the praise of former South African Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
captain and Rhodesian resident H. H. Castens
Herbert Hayton Castens
Herbert Hayton Castens was a South African rugby union footballer, and cricketer. He was South Africa's first ever rugby and cricket captain. Castens played an important role in the development of rugby and cricket in South Africa, both on and off the pitch. He was usually known as H.H...
, who believed that Brooks "was good enough to play for South Africa". Brooks also won a Rhodesian tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
title and became the national record holder in high jump.
He took part in Rhodesia's inaugural first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
match, in 1905, against Transvaal in the Currie Cup cricket competition. Batting at three, Brooks top scored in the first innings with 61 of his team's 115 runs. In the second innings he opened the batting but made just one before being bowled by Richard Norden, who claimed 12 wickets for the match.
In 1906 he represented the Rhodesian rugby team
Zimbabwe national rugby union team
The Zimbabwe national rugby union team is the rugby union team representing Zimbabwe. They are considered to be a third tier rugby union nation...
in South Africa's Currie Cup
Currie Cup
The Currie Cup tournament is South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, played each winter and spring , featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces...
as a wing three-quarter. He was considered unlucky to miss selection in the Springbok
South Africa national rugby union team
The South African national rugby union team are 2009 British and Irish Lions Series winners. They are currently ranked as the fourth best team in the IRB World Rankings and were named 2008 World Team of the Year at the prestigious Laureus World Sports Awards.Although South Africa was instrumental...
team to tour England in 1906/07 as he didn't meet the five year residential qualification period, albeit by only a few months. Springbok vice-captain Paddy Carolin
Paddy Carolin
Harold "Paddy" Carolin was a rugby union player who represented South Africa 3 times, once as captain. He was the first player to captain the South Africa national rugby union team abroad after Paul Roos had to withdraw....
had wanted Brooks in the team and told him to come with them to England, at which time he would sent a telegram to the Rugby Board seeking permission to call up Brooks as a replacement player.
While in England, Brooks again played rugby for Bedford and was selected in the South vs North fixture, which was used as a trial for spots in the national team. He scored four tries and despite coming to the country to play for the Springboks, Brooks was named in the England team for a Test against the South Africans.
The match, which was played at Crystal Palace, finished in a three all draw, with Brooks scoring England's only points though a second half try.
He got further opportunities to play for England, against both France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and England, but turned them down in order to get married back in Rhodesia.
When HDG Leveson-Gower's XI toured Rhodesia in the 1909/10 cricket season, Brooks was picked to make his second and final first-class appearance. After managing just 10 in his first innings, Brooks was again promoted from three to open the batting in the second innings and made 51.
His career in the civil service would see him made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, having served as Master of the High Court and Chairman of the Public Service.