13TH ANNUAL CHARITY RUGBY DINNER 2017

BMCC’s 13th Annual Charity Rugby Dinner Returns!

And this time is all about the Lions. With the British & Irish Lions 2017 Tour in New Zealand, the BMCC’s Annual Charity Rugby Dinner returns for the 13th consecutive year in celebration of a rugby touring tradition that dates back to 1888.

Mark down the 24th May as we’re bringing two capped Lions, and an All Blacks star that has faced them.

Fergus Slattery, the former Irish rugby union player earning 61 caps, 18 as captain, and scored 3 tries. He was captain of the most successful Irish touring side ever in 1979 which won 7 of the 8 matches in Australia. Slattery was also a member of the Irish Triple Crown-winning team in 1982 and was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007. Slattery toured New Zealand with the British & Irish Lions in 1971 and again in 1974, playing in all four Tests and captaining the side for two provincial matches.

Peter Winterbottom, England’s openside flanker from 1982 to 1993, held the country’s most-capped openside (with 58 caps) till 2003. Known for his work rate, durability, hard tackling and courage, he was the second England player to reach 50 caps, after Rory Underwood, and was inducted onto the Twickenham “Wall of Fame” in November 2005. He was selected on two British and Irish Lions tours in 1983 and 1993, both to New Zealand, where he impressed the locals with his fine play, albeit on losing sides.

Justin Marshall, the New Zealand All Black’s 54th Test Captain, making 81 appearances between 1995 and 2005 (61 wins, 1 draw, 19 defeats) and scoring a record 24 test tries, a tally that more than doubles the next best for an All Blacks scrum half. He is now a Sky Sports commentator in New Zealand for most All Blacks games and other provincial level matches.