It is with great sadness that CURUFC has learnt James (Jim) Roberts, formerly of Christ's College Cambridge, CURUFC and England Rugby, passed away peacefully on 1st November 2020 aged 88.
Although he had to wait until he was 27 to become an international wing, he made an immediate impact, scoring two tries on his debut against Wales at Twickenham in 1960 in a 14-6 victory. While he was happy, his brace of tries ruined the Test debut for another Cambridge Blue, Welsh centre Geoff Windsor Lewis. Roberts went on to score six tries in his 18 games for England over a four-year period. He picked up a Triple Crown in his first season, when England shared the Five Nations title with the French, and then helped Richard Sharp’s side take the title outright in 1963.
Having arrived at Christ’s College, from Mill Hill, it didn’t take long for Roberts to make an impact on the rugby scene. He played in the LX Club side that drew 8-8 with the senior team at Grange Road early in the 1952-53 season and went on to win the first of his three Blues two months later.
Cambridge were looking to end a sequence of four consecutive losses to Oxford and were firm underdogs going into the Varsity Match. Their cause wasn’t helped by a rib injury that forced prop Mike Massey off the field and concussion that left hooker Fred Beringer little more than a passenger playing on auto-pilot. Yet they clung on to win 6-5 with Roberts making his Twickenham debut at centre alongside Scottish international Ken Dalgleish. They were playing outside Welsh international outside half Harry Morgan and had another Welshman, Peter Davies, at full back. Davies was a critical character in Roberts’ three Varsity Match experiences. His penalty in 1952 won the game, his two strikes a year later earned the Light Blues a 6-6 draw and in 1953 it was his penalty that won the game 3-0.
Roberts didn’t play against the 1953 All Blacks for Cambridge, but faced them twice on their next tour, in 1963, for London Counties and England. He also played against the 1957 Wallabies, scoring a try for London Counties in their 9-9 draw, and then faced the 1960 Springboks for both London and England.
After leaving Cambridge he played his rugby for Old Millhillians and helped Middlesex reach the County Championship finals of 1955 and 1956. They fell short in the first, but he was a try scorer in their victory over Devon in 1956
Business then took him to the Manchester area, where he joined Sale. He also scored five tries in 12 appearances for the Barbarians. Jim carried on playing for Sale until he retired in 1965.
He was the last of 12 players from Mill Hill to win a Blue at Cambridge and one of four from that school to go on to play for England. Jim continued to enjoy a healthy and engaged relationship with Mill Hill School after the last of his children left, and he fulfilled many roles between 1992 and 2006 including Chair of Governors, various functions on the Mill Hill School Foundation Committee and as President of the Old Millhillians Club.
Cambridge Blues from Mill Hill
1885-86: John Dewhurst (England)
1889: Cecil Fitch
1893-94-95: Alexander Todd (England / Lions)
1901-02: Arthur Roberts
1906: William Penny
1909: Lewis Storey
1919-20: Phil Batty
1925-26: Wilf Sobey (England / Lions)
1928: Cyril Wiggins
1929: Harold Carris
1930: Lewis Collison
1952-53-54: Jim Roberts (England)