Bill Beaumont

Former England rugby player Bill Beaumont has enjoyed a long and decorated career as a player, the chairman of the Rugby Football Union and the chairman of World Rugby. Bill Beaumont was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.

Born 9 March 1952, Bill Beaumont began playing rugby at school. When he was 17, he joined Fylde Rugby Club in Lancashire. He stayed at the club for his entire career, only leaving when injury forced his retirement in 1982. During this time, he also represented Lancashire and the Barbarians.

However, most of Bill Beaumont’s success came on the international stage. He was capped by England 34 times during his career and also captained the side for several years. Under his stewardship, England completed an unexpected Grand Slam in 1980, their first for 23 years. On the international stage, Bill Beaumont also featured seven times for the British and Irish Lions, captaining the side on their 1980 tour of South Africa.

Bill Beaumont retired from rugby on the advice of doctors in 1982. Following his retirement, he became a regular on British television and managed his family’s textile business. Since 1999, Bill Beaumont has moved into rugby administration. He was appointed chairman of the Rugby Football Union in 2012 and, in 2016, he was unanimously appointed as the chairman of World Rugby.

Due to his long and illustrious career in the sport, Bill Beaumont was knighted for services to rugby in 2019. The winners of the English County Championship are also awarded the Bill Beaumont Cup.