PRINCE OBOLENSKY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 6

PRINCE OBOLENSKY

KILLED IN CRASH

MOTED RUGBY PLAYER

LONDON, March 29

The famous Rugby international Pilot-Officer Prince Obolensky; aged 24, was killed in an accident when landing a plane in Britain on Friday. He was a member of an English team which defeated Wales on March 9 and he was selected for a raturn match on April 13.

He won Rugby fame in a day by his two remarkable tries for England against New Zealand at Twickenham in 1936. He was Russian by birth and was naturalised in 1936. He was the first foreigner to gain the British Rugby cap. After the outbreak of tne war he declared, "Having played for England, I want to fight for her."

Although having previously won his spurs in first-class football, Prince Alexander Obolensky. really won Rugby fame through the brilliancy of the efforts by which he scored the first two tries for England ' against New Zealand at Twickenham in January, 1936. For his second try.on that memorable occasion he started from the right-wing position and finished up by passing the New Zealand full-back near the left corner. He had appeared twice previously against the New Zealand team—first, . for - the Midland Counties in the second match of the tour, and later for Oxford University in the match in which New Zealand gained a last-minute win, Obolensky having scored Oxford's only try. It was at the age of two years vat Prince Obolensky left Russia, and he has since lived in England, except ror some visits to France (where his parents resided) and elsewhere.' He became a naturalised British subject, about four years ago, and it was then his ambition to secure a post in the colonial- service. Apart from Rugby football, he had two main interests — flying and the theatre. It was as a member of the Oxford University • Air Squadron that he set' out to gain- his "wings" in 1936. , An Oxford Itugby Blue from 1935 to 1937, he played for England in all four international matches in 1936. A somewhat strious accident interfered with his Rugby career, but he was well in the picture last year and played prominently in the trials for the selection of England's team. He played many times for Ross,lyn Park, and was also a member of the Barbarians Club. -M. McG. Cooper and D. G. Cobden, of New Zealand, played in the same, teams with Prince Obolensky, and many • more New Jealanders saw the tearaway three-quarter in action. His death takes another of the picturesque figures from the Rugby field. '