Rob Andrew

Rob Andrew
Full name Christopher Robert Andrew
Date of birth (1963-02-18) 18 February 1963
Place of birth Richmond, England
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
School Barnard Castle School
University St John's College, Cambridge
Occupation(s) Director of Operations
Rugby union career
Playing career
Position fly-half
Amateur clubs
Years Club / team
1982–1985 Cambridge University
Professional / senior clubs
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1985–1986
1987–1991
1991-1992
1992–1995
1995–1999		 Nottingham
Wasps
Toulouse
Wasps
Newcastle Falcons
National team(s)
Years Club / team Caps (points)
1985–1997
1989, 1993		 England
British and Irish Lions		 71
5		 (396)
0(11)[1]

Christopher Robert "Rob" Andrew MBE (born 18 February 1963 in Richmond, Yorkshire), nicknamed "Squeaky", is a former English rugby union footballer and was, until April 2016, Professional Rugby Director at the RFU. He was formerly the Director of Rugby of Newcastle Falcons and in January 2017 will take up a role as Chief Executive of Sussex County Cricket Club.[2] As a player, Andrew was assured in his kicking and defensive skills off both feet. Andrew also had a brief career in first-class cricket whilst at University and played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club's Second XI.[2]

Rugby career

Domestic

Andrew attended Barnard Castle School where he was contemporaries with future teammate Rory Underwood and was captain of the school 1st XV in 1981. He then attended St John's College, Cambridge and played for Cambridge University in the Varsity Match. He joined Nottingham for one season in 1985/86 and then joined Wasps FC where he was first choice fly-half throughout most of the eight seasons he spent with the north London club. At Wasps FC he won the English League in 1990, eventually leaving to join Newcastle Gosforth in 1995 as both a player and as director of rugby.[3] The club had just been bought out by Sir John Hall in the leadup to the game turning professional, they became the Falcons of today. During his time in charge of Newcastle Falcons he is credited with discovering Jonny Wilkinson. He was an ever present when Newcastle Falcons won the 1997-98 Premiership.[4] His playing career was ended in 1999 after an injury in training.[5]

International

Andrew was fly-half for England during the Will Carling era, making a winning debut in January 1985 against Romania at Twickenham. For the next 10 years he was England's regular fly-half earning 70 caps, including 2 as captain. After England finished 4th in the 1995 Rugby Union World Cup, he saw out his contract at Wasps and moved to the Newcastle Falcons. He made his final appearance for England after an absence of almost 2 years when he was called off the bench as a try scoring replacement against Wales in March 1997. In total, he scored 396 international points, won the Grand Slam with England 3 times and held the English record for the most points scored in an international - 30, scored against Canada in 1994. Critics of the England side blamed him for kicking the ball too much rather than passing. England did, however, enjoy a great deal of success with him as their Number 10.

He played in 3 Rugby World Cup competitions; 1987 (making 2 appearances), 1991 and 1995. Curiously, just as Wilkinson had beaten Australia in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final with a drop goal, the last time Australia lost in the same competition was in 1995. In that year, it was Andrew who nailed a drop goal on the stroke of full-time to beat the Wallabies 25-22.

In 1989 he had the honour of captaining the British and Irish Lions against France in a rare "home" match for the Lions. The game formed part of the celebrations of the bi-centennial of the French Revolution.[6]

Post playing

Andrew remained as director of rugby at Newcastle Falcons after the injury that ended his playing career until on 18 August 2006 he was appointed by the RFU to undertake the post of Director of Elite Rugby to oversee all aspects of representative rugby in England, from the regional academies to the full senior side.[7][8]

On 6 January 2011, Andrew's role as director of elite rugby at the Rugby Football Union was scrapped in an overhaul of the organisation's structure. It was reported that Andrew was invited to apply for one of the new roles created by this process, that of operations director.[9] At a press conference on 16 November 2011 Andrew's position was described as Director of Elite Rugby and he reportedly took several attempts to (inconclusively) describe his responsibilities.[10] He resigned as the RFU's director of professional rugby in February 2016.[2]

Cricket career

Representing Tilford Cricket Club at Elstead in 2010. Josh Berry the bowler
Rob Andrew
Cricket information
Batting style Left-hand batsman
Bowling style Right-arm off-break
Role Batsman
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1984–1985 Cambridge University
First-class debut 18 April 1984
Cambridge University v Leicestershire
Last First-class 5 July 1985
Cambridge University v Oxford University
List A debut 5 May 1984
Combined Universities v Hampshire
Last List A 18 May 1985
Combined Universities v Essex
Career statistics
Competition FC List A
Matches 17 5
Runs scored 658 150
Batting average 21.22 37.50
100s/50s 1/3 0/1
Top score 101* 82*
Balls bowled 1,433 156
Wickets 12 1
Bowling average 70.58 124.00
5 wickets in innings 0 0
10 wickets in match 0 na
Best bowling 3/77 1/15
Catches/stumpings 6/– 0/–
Source: CricketArchive, 8 December 2008

Andrew was also a talented cricketer, gaining a Cambridge blue for that sport as well,[2] and he made 17 first-class cricket appearances for the university cricket team in 1984 and 1985,[11] as well as playing five times for Combined Universities in one-day cricket.[12] A left-handed batsman and right arm off-break bowler, he made one first-class century,[2] scoring 101 not out against Nottinghamshire in July 1984.[11] Andrew also made a few appearances for the Yorkshire Second XI,[2] and on one occasion dismissed future England captain Mike Atherton (then aged 17) for a duck.[13]

In November 2016 Andrew was appointed chief executive of Sussex County Cricket Club.[2]

Off the field

Andrew is an Honorary President of the rugby charity Wooden Spoon, which raises funds for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK and Ireland.

See also

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Will Carling		 English National Rugby Union Captain
May 1989 		Succeeded by
Will Carling
Preceded by
Will Carling		 English National Rugby Union Captain
May 1995 		Succeeded by
Will Carling


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