In The News

Rugby star Ripley loses cancer battle

Rugby star Ripley loses cancer battle

Former England rugby star Andy Ripley has died after losing his battle against prostate cancer. He was 62.

Mr. Ripley, who won 24 caps for England in the 1970s, was diagnosed with the disease in 2005. He later became an ambassador for the Prostate Cancer Charity.

The back row forward had been an all-round athlete. He won the BBC tv’s Superstars series in 1980.

During his playing career Mr. Ripley always showed a healthy disregard for player dress-codes.

Regarded by many as rugby’s first hippy, Mr. Ripley continually refused to wear official team clothing to functions. 

During the Lions’ invincible tour of South Africa in 1974 he would show up at official functions looking like a ‘surf bum’. He was then ordered by team bosses that for the next function he should wear the tour blazer, grey trousers and team tie. The officials ended their demand with the instruction: ‘don’t dare turn up in anything else’.

Ripley duly appeared at the next function wearing the blazer, trousers and tie — but nothing else!

In 2007 he published a book about his battle with cancer. In the foreword he wrote: “Dare we hope? We dare. Can we hope? We can. Should we hope? We must. We must because to do otherwise is to waste the most precious of gifts, given freely by God to all of us. So, when we do die, it will be with hope and it will be easy and our hearts will not be broken”.

He received an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to sport. Because his illness was so advanced, he received his honour last month from Prince Charles.

Mr. Ripley is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and his three children.

 

View previous In the News items: Bones of English Princess are found, Belfastman dies in Hampshire road accident, Country singer Jimmy Dean dies or Food critic Egon Ronay passes away

 

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