Winterbottom
Peter Winterbottom was a legend of rugby in the 1980s and 90s one of the finest openside flankers of his generation.
Peter Winterbottom Bio
Peter Winterbottom was a legend of rugby in the 1980s and 90s. During this period, he became England’s most-capped openside flanker. He also became a huge favourite with fans thanks to his work rate, durability and courage. Peter Winterbottom was inducted into the RugbyPass Hall of Fame in 2021.
Born 31 May 1960, Peter Winterbottom began his rugby-playing career in Yorkshire, where he was born. During this time, he represented Headingley in Leeds, who have since become Leeds Tykes.
During his domestic career, Peter Winterbottom represented a number of elite sides from around the world. As well as representing Headingley and Harlequins in the UK, he also played for Transvaal in South Africa and Hawke’s Bay in New Zealand.
As a result of his impressive play at the domestic level, Peter Winterbottom was first called up to represent England in 1982. Between then and 1993, he was capped 58 times by his country, which was a record for an openside flanker at the time (it has since been overtaken by Neil Back). He was also only the second England player to reach 50 caps, after Rory Underwood.
During his time with England, Peter Winterbottom put in a number of impressive performances. As a result, he was also asked to represent the British and Irish Lions on two tours. In 1983 and 1993, he toured New Zealand with the team. In spite of losing on both occasions (the first a 4-0 whitewash), his performances were widely regarded as highly impressive.
After retiring from rugby in 1995, Peter Winterbottom carved out a career in finance. However, he’s also stayed connected to the game and he’s currently the Director of Rugby at Esher Rugby Club.
