Background
Reginald Halsey Birkett was born in London on 28 March 1849.
association football player rugby union player
Reginald Halsey Birkett was born in London on 28 March 1849.
He was educated at William Jacob"s school in Calne and Lancing College, for whom he later played club football.
He also played international rugby union for England in 1871, in the first international rugby match. In this match he scored England"s first try. He was baptised on 31 May 1849 in Street Botolph Bishopsgate in the City of London.
Birkett was an important figure in the formation of the Rugby Football Union as well. were one of the twenty-one London and suburban football clubs that followed Rugby School rules that assembled at the Pall Mall Restaurant in Regent Street and formed the Rugby Football Union on 26 January 1871 and Birkett was not only present but also became one of the thirteen original committee members.
Birkett was selected for the first international rugby match for England vs Scotland in 1871. In this match he scored England"s first ever try, although at the time a try did not gain points, but rather was the means by which a team was granted the opportunity of converting the try into a point scoring goal.
Of his rugby ability a near contemporary account states that he "was very useful both forward and behind the scrummage, and had plenty of pace." When Regional Birkett was playing association football and rugby football the two codes had not long been separated and the term football could still apply to either. He then joined Lancing Old Boys, and then on to Football Club, a club that played both codes of football and had distinguished itself in both.
Birkett also represented Surrey Football Club. In the 1879 FA Cup Final, played at Kennington Oval on 29 March 1879, were runners-up to Old Etonians F.C.
Birkett was the goalkeeper and was beaten at close range by a shot from Charles Clerke. However, despite letting in the only goal of the match, Birkett"s prowess as a keeper was well respected and he went on to be selected for the England vs Scotland friendly international a week later on the same ground. Despite conceding four goals, he was on the winning side, England prevailing 5–4.
The opposition this time was Oxford University A.F.C. Clopton Lloyd-Jones scored for Clapham and combined with Birkett"s clean sheet, Clapham prevailed 1–0.
Honours Reginald married Lizette Crunden in 1881 in Cuckfield, West Sussex.
They had at least two sons, Gerald (born 1883) and John (who would later captain the England rugby union side) (born 1884). A skin and fur broker by profession, he died at his Wimbledon home following an accident when ill with typhoid.
Despite his strong ties to rugby, he was known to be "found playing the Association game almost as often as Rugby" and indeed Clapham Rovers, the team he was a member of, and captained in the 1871-1872 season, steadfastly remained a dual-code club Whilst at school he played both codes and was a member of Lancing"s senior soccer team in 1866-1867.