Bert Solomon
Encyclopedia
Bert Solomon was a Cornish rugby
union player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
at White City Stadium
, London
. He also played for Redruth R.F.C.
and 26 times for Cornwall
.
He was a member of the Cornwall
rugby union team, which on 26 October 1908 won the Olympic
silver medal for Great Britain
. He also played for Cornwall in the Championship final match against Durham, at Redruth
, in 1908 and was capped by England
against Wales
in 1910, the first year Twickenham
opened. Although being selected for further matches against Scotland, Ireland and France he declined and also declined an invitation to tour with the British and Irish Lions
in 1908 to Australia
and New Zealand
. Around the same time, it was reported that he refused 400 golden sovereigns to sign for a Rugby league
team in the north of England.
It is also reported that Bert was a solitary character, who like nothing better than his pigeons. Sometimes he refused to play for Redruth if his pigeons were still out, and often had to be cajoled into playing. Such was his skill that he apparently made a difference of 1000 people on a crowd. There is now a book published regarding his life and career.
Cornish rugby
Rugby union in Cornwall is one of the Duchy's most popular sports.-CRFU:The Cornwall Rugby Football Union was formed in 1883. It is a union of 39 rugby union clubs which includes every rugby union club in Cornwall, the open age Cornwall representative side and representative teams at various age...
union player who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics
1908 Summer Olympics
The 1908 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the IV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in 1908 in London, England, United Kingdom. These games were originally scheduled to be held in Rome. At the time they were the fifth modern Olympic games...
at White City Stadium
White City Stadium
White City Stadium was built in White City, London, for the 1908 Summer Olympics, often seen as the precursor to the modern seater stadium and noted for hosting the finish of the first modern distance marathon. It also hosted speedway and a match at the 1966 World Cup, before the stadium was...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He also played for Redruth R.F.C.
Redruth R.F.C.
Redruth RFC is a Rugby union team from Cornwall.- History:Redruth RFC was founded in 1875 by Henry Grylls and W.H. Willimot. By the 1900s, the club was the most successful in Cornwall, a position they were to hold for much of the twentieth century. In 1908, the club defeated Durham to win the...
and 26 times for Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
.
He was a member of the Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
rugby union team, which on 26 October 1908 won the Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medal for Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. He also played for Cornwall in the Championship final match against Durham, at Redruth
Redruth
Redruth is a town and civil parish traditionally in the Penwith Hundred in Cornwall, United Kingdom. It has a population of 12,352. Redruth lies approximately at the junction of the A393 and A3047 roads, on the route of the old London to Land's End trunk road , and is approximately west of...
, in 1908 and was capped by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
against Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1910, the first year Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
opened. Although being selected for further matches against Scotland, Ireland and France he declined and also declined an invitation to tour with the British and Irish Lions
British and Irish Lions
The British and Irish Lions is a rugby union team made up of players from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales...
in 1908 to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Around the same time, it was reported that he refused 400 golden sovereigns to sign for a Rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
team in the north of England.
It is also reported that Bert was a solitary character, who like nothing better than his pigeons. Sometimes he refused to play for Redruth if his pigeons were still out, and often had to be cajoled into playing. Such was his skill that he apparently made a difference of 1000 people on a crowd. There is now a book published regarding his life and career.