Bill Cunningham (rugby union, born 1900)

William Anthony Joseph Cunningham (27 March 1900 — 13 December 1959) was an Ireland and British Lions international rugby union player active in the 1920s.

Bill Cunningham

Full name	William Anthony Joseph Cunningham
Date of birth	(1900-03-27)27 March 1900
Place of birth	Dublin, Ireland
Date of death	13 December 1959(1959-12-13) (aged 59)
Place of death	Wandsworth, England
School	Belvedere College
Occupation(s)	Dentist
Rugby union career
Position(s) Halfback International career Years Team Apps (Points) 1920–23 Ireland 8 (3) 1924 British Lions 1 (3)

Cunningham was born in Dublin and attended Belvedere College, where he picked up rugby.

A halfback, Cunningham played his rugby for Lansdowne and was capped eight times for Ireland. He was used as an out-half for his first two years and scored the winning try in a 1921 Five Nations match against Scotland at Lansdowne Road. Jim Wheeler took over as Ireland's out-half in 1922, with Cunningham tried at scrum-half, having combined well with Wheeler in the trials. He finished his Ireland career the following year with eight caps.

Cunningham returned to international rugby in 1924 as a member of the British Lions in South Africa, although not as a tourist. A dentist by profession, Cunningham happened to be working in the African country at the time and was asked to link up with the team partway through the tour after they had suffered a series of injuries. He played the third Test match against the Springboks at Port Elizabeth, scoring their only try in a 3–3 draw.

See also

• List of Ireland national rugby union players

External links

• Bill Cunningham at ESPNscrum